Tehran Can't 'Paint Over' Latest Unrest

Tehran Can’t ‘Paint Over’ Latest Unrest

Posted: January 3rd, 2018

By Norman T. Roule

Norman T. Roule is a geopolitical and energy consultant who served for 34 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to Iran and the Middle East. He served as the National Intelligence Manager for Iran (NIM-I) at the ODNI from 2008 until 2017. As NIM-I, he was the principal Intelligence Community (IC) official responsible for overseeing all aspects of national intelligence policy and activities related to Iran, to include IC engagement on Iran issues with senior policymakers in the National Security Council and the Department of State.

Cipher Brief expert Norman Roule – a former CIA Mideast hand and DNI Iran Mission Manager – calls the demonstrations in Iran possibly the most significant since the 1979 revolution. He offers a look at how the protests are playing out and what might be ahead, in an interview with Executive Editor Kim Dozier adapted for print below.

The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani both are saying that the protests were spurred by enemies inside and outside the country. What are they trying to do?

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