The Preamble

The Preamble

What’s at Stake with the US and Iran

The real choice the US faces now

Elise Labott's avatar
Elise Labott
Jan 28, 2026
∙ Paid

What is happening in Iran right now is not a protest movement. It is a revolt.

Demonstrations that began over a collapsing currency have metastasized into something the Islamic Republic has not faced in its 46-year history: a nationwide uprising, spreading across all 31 provinces, with crowds openly calling for the end of theocratic rule. The regime has …

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Elise Labott's avatar
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Elise Labott
Global affairs journalist. I write Cosmopolitics on Substack.
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