rouhani is governments and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex we talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it's kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real opposition so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system. so president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved increased civil rights why has the progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a president in th

rouhani is government and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real position so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system and president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved and increased civil rights why has that progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a presid

rouhani is governments and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real opposition so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the moms against the whole system and president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved increased civil rights why has the progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a president i

rouhani as government and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real position so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system and president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved increased civil rights why has the progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a president i

rouhani is governments and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real opposition so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system. thank you. now to some of the other stories making news around the world the united states said that it is up to south korea to decide whether it will hold talks with no

rouhani is governments and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real opposition so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system and president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved increased civil rights why has that progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a preside

rouhani is governments and then it's took over and people who are frustrated people who are you know. complaining about social and political grievances coming taking over onto the streets but you know it's very complex when you talk about iranian politics it's always we have the rouhani government and we have hardliners and it is kind of many people now saying that this is not like also the reformists and president rouhani is not a real opposition so to say because they are also part of the system and he is also representing the system but what we have seen and what we have noticed this time is there have been a lot of slogans against ayatollah khomeini directly against the supreme leader people chanting. death to the dictator referring to him which hasn't been in this has been there before people really you know going out in this really also more violent form and having declared the monster against the whole system and president rouhani was elected on a promise of change on improved increased civil rights why has the progress been so slow. the thing is though first of all a presiden

but president rouhani says they are an opportunity, not a threat. california has become the largest state in the us to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. more than 300 women from hollywood's entertainment industry have launched an initiative to tackle sexual harassment in workplaces. the campaign, called time's up, aims to improve legislation and corporate policies, increase access to legal assistance, and help more women reach the top levels of industry. it is supported by stars including meryl streep, jennifer lawrence, and cate blanchett. in an open letter printed in the new york times, the women argue that the experiences of women working in less—glamorous jobs, like farming and catering, deserve the same attention as those in the entertainment industry. joining me now from santa monica is filmmaker mitchell block. thank you forjoining us. i suppose really all of this started some time ago, and then there was the harvey weinstein scandal. has hollywood changed irreversibly since then, do you think? i think all of america has. one can n

but president rouhani says they're an "opportunity, not a threat". authorities in costa rica have now recovered the 12 victims of a plane crash in a mountainous area, near the beach town of punta islita. officials and witnesses say strong winds were a factor in the crash. those killed included ten us citizens, five from the same family, and two costa rican pilots. virginia langeberg reports. for the family and friends of the two costa rican pilots, it has been a heartbreaking wait outside the facility. their loved ones are yet to be formally identified by autopsy, but that is simply procedural confirmation of what they sadly already know. there were no survivors when this single engined cessna crashed minutes after takeoff into a mountainous area of the beach town of punta islita. 12 people were on board the us flight. those killed included ten us citizens, five from the same family, and two costa rican pilots. with the body is now recovered, officials turned their attention to the cause of the crash. witnesses telling them strong winds must have pla

we have the rouhani government, and we have the hardliners. many people are now saying rouhani does not represent real opposition. they say he is representing the system. what we have noticed is that there have been slogans against ayatollah home an come in khome. it is not been there before. people coming out in such an awesome form with clear demands against the whole system. phil: so president rouhani was elected on a promise of change and increased civil rights. why has that progress been so slow? >> first of all, a president in the islamic republic of iran even wanting to change something has very limited power. he is already limited in what he can actually do or bring about. but people were hoping, after last year's election when they reelected him, that with the lifting of sanctions, it would get better. rouhani himself made a lot of promises. people do not see them being fulfilled or addressed. what is also criticized a lot is that president rouhani is also focusing on foreign crises. people want domestic issues to be addressed. some w

and antigovernment demonstrations in iran to follow its threats of a crackdown president hassan rouhani appeals for calm but warns they'll be no tolerance for what he calls on rights but with protests showing no signs of stopping he's on the group public cuts access to social media and arrests more than two hundred people. i'm having a home for a good to have you with us here's revelers around the globe have been treated to spectacular displays of pyrotechnics as the world welcomed the new year the new year is one hour old in new york where revelers on times square braved frigid temperatures to celebrate twenty eighteen minus twelve degrees celsius it was the second cold this new year's eve on record. the range in this were tight as people assembled at times square and as iconic the news around the world will begin to report at the brandenburg gate who invited. the. germans might have a reputation for being reserved but not at new year the country goes firework crazy nowhere more so than the capital their lead and. despite the excitement the thousands that throng the streets around the

some argue the recent uprising in iran was fueled by president hassan rouhani economic policies this video highlights the economic grievances of some iranians but it's often cissie has been clouded by reports the production was bought by iran's revolutionary guards corps released just days after protests erupted reza of the national iranian american council tweeting it facts matter with little data and verifiable evidence how do we even know that iranians believe based on slogans chanted in protests malani says i am skeptical of those who have more arts is than questions about the iran protests others noted the irony of u.s. president donald trump tweeting his support for the protests he said ministrations travel ban prevents most iranians from entering the u.s. the protests also drummed up support from leaders who could capitalize on the anti-government sentiment the last heir to the iranian moniker reza pahlavi. so what my message to the outside world is don't let the iranian people gone down yet again don't make the same mistakes as some of his regime before have done today the pe

some argue the recent uprising in iran was fueled by president hassan rouhani economic policies this video highlights the economic grievances of some iranians but it's often cissie has been clouded by reports that production was backed by iran's revolutionary guards corps released just days after protests erupted reza of the national iranian american council tweeted facts matter with little data verifiable evidence how do we even know that iranians believe based on slogans chanted in protests malani says i am skeptical of those who have more arts is than questions about the protests others noted the irony of u.s. president donald trump tweeting his support for the protests he said ministrations travel ban prevents most iranians from entering the u.s. the protests also drummed up support from leaders who could capitalize on the anti-government sentiment like the last heir to the iranian monarchy reza pahlavi. so what my message to the outside world is don't let the iranian people gone down yet again don't make the same mistakes as some of these recent before have done today the people

my guess, rouhani's challenges, even if the security forces manage to get control rouhani's challenges are greater than ever. there will be greater political division, making his economic division, making his economic reforms more difficult. the political risk factor and u.s. policy will loom large for interhavings investors in a way it might not even a month ago. susan: right. you brought up the sort of washington part of this narrative. so, first of all, how have we affected or not affected things so far? you mentioned that already the government has decided to create as part of its narrative this is imposed by the west, imposed by the united states. another cia plot against the country. when in doubt that is usually a pretty good course for any threatened government in the region, but president trump made a very decisive move on twitter to jump into the fray here, and we've been having here in washington a debate about president obama's decision back in 2009 not to do that. you said in your own tradition, suzanne, you had vigorous debate even inside your own family whether it was ri

president rouhani has said people have the right to protest, but there should be no violence. earlier, water cannons we re should be no violence. earlier, water cannons were used against protesters in tehran. and finally, the new year's celebrations in brazil. over two million people gathered on copacabana beach to watch a magnificent 17—minute firework display, with many of the revellers wearing white, the traditional colour to usher in the new year. 2.5 hours earlier, it was the uk's turn to ring in the new year, with a spectacular fireworks display in london and edinburgh. among the highlights, more than 100,000 ticket holders watched the display from the banks of the river thames. big ben chiming 2008 —— 2018 in. happy new year's from us here. good morning, and a happy new year to you. before we leap ahead into 2018 and what the weather has in store for the week ahead, let's just take a quick look back at what 2017 brought us. for ennerdale, in cumbria, on the 15th of may, over six inches of rain in 2a hours. it was a hot day though at heathrow, on the 21st ofjune. 3

he can not do anything yeah. >> your point about rouhani is good one this question of rouhani perceived certainly here in washington, elsewhere outside of iran as you know, a moderate, at least in the iranian context. we perceived the nuclear deal as an example that would lead potentially to further reforms. one question i have, for both of you is, to what extent are we seeing rouhani and those around him come up to the limits of what incremental within the system reform is possible? you mentioned the soviet union and the regimes studying of the collapse of the soviet union as something to be avoided. i was thinking about a classic late poem, fatal half-measures, right? is that what we're looking the at with rouhani, that he basically himself unleashed this because he is not able to deliver fully for people? what do we think, what does it tell us about the future of reform inside of the system? will it simply be a pretext for more cracking down? >> i would say my theory is that that it is very similar to what you just suggested. that, you know, rouhani was the last, best, attempt to try

but the government of rouhani has had a challenge. these are the people who are not seeing anything trickle—down. are the protesters calling for him to be pulled down or for the ayatollah? i think that the protesters are crying in rage. i think they don't have clear demands, they are articulating their rage at not having their grievances met or considered. i think you put iran at number five on the global risks in terms of your iran us relations today. it is ironic because rouhani is the guy that the west has been backing over the last few years, investing a lot of hope in him. is this the end of that strategy? does it work now? well, it is the end of the west, right, in a sense that you have the europeans still supporting reformists in iran and the iranian nuclear deal but not the united states, not the club administration. not the trump administration. to the extent that these demonstrations showed the viability of rouhani, they potentially lead to a hardline backlash which plays into trump's anti—iran, anti—work with these pe

upset about the situation in the country can we say that at all hani president rouhani has failed to deliver on the promises he made during the current president campaign as you know president rouhani and the first of term for the presidency his focus was the nuclear deal and he promised of course he promised iranian that you know the political situation will be changed and he promised that this cannot be done without fixing the foreign policy issue as a whole including the nuclear deep think based on that he was elected in the first time so as he has as then the deal was signed in. summer two thousand and fifteen the hope was this deal brings you know a new support to the economy situation in iraq and assuming that the money there would be removing of sanctions would be iran would be open up for a foreign investment the political situation and the the will affect the economy situation assuming that was also there would be a change on the economy in iran you know with trump kim and comes to power and you know unfortunately things has changed. president a trump he was not happy with t

some argue the recent uprising in iran was fueled by president hassan rouhani economic policies this video highlights the economic grievances of some iranians but it's also insists he has been clouded by reports that production was backed by iran's revolutionary guards corps released just days after protests erupted reza of the national iranian american council tweeted facts matter with little data verifiable evidence how do we even know that iranians believe based on slogans chanted in protests more senate malani says i am skeptical of those who have more arts is than questions about the iran protests others noted the irony of u.s. president donald trump tweeting his support for the protests he said ministrations travel ban prevents most iranians from entering the u.s. the protests also drummed up support from leaders who could capitalize on the anti-government sentiment the last heir to the iranian moniker reza pahlavi. so what my message to the outside world is don't let the iranian people gone down yet again don't make the same mistakes as some of these recent before have done to

upset about the situation in the country can we say that at all hani president rouhani has failed to deliver on the promises he made during the current president pain as you know president rouhani and the first of term for the presidency his focus was the nuclear deal and he promised of course he promised the iranian that you know the political situation will be changed and he promised that this cannot be done without fixing the foreign policy issue as a whole including the nuclear deep think based on that he was elected the first time so as he has as then the deal was signed in. summer two thousand and fifteen the hope was this deal will bring you know a new support to the economy situation in iraq and assuming that the money there would be removing of sanctions would be iran would be open up for a foreign investment the political situation and the the will affect the economy situation assuming that was also there would be a change on the economy in iran you know with trump kim and comes to power and you know unfortunately things has changed. president trump he was not happy with th

upset about the situation in the country can we say that at all hani president rouhani has failed to deliver on the promises he made during the current president paid all the promises he made during the current president pain as you know president rouhani and the first of term for the presidency his focus was the nuclear deal and he promised of course he promised iranian that you know the political situation will be changed and he promised that this cannot be done without fixing the foreign policy issue as a whole including the nuclear deep think based on that he was elected in the first time so as he has as then the deal was signed in. summer two thousand and fifteen the hope was this deal would have brings you know a new support to the economy situation in iraq and assuming that the money there would be removing of sanctions there would be iran would be open up for a foreign investment the political situation and the the will affect the economy situation assuming that was also there would be a change on the economy in iran you know with trump him and comes to power and you know unf

ben: well, we heard there from the iranian president rouhani. i was speaking about his part in this with the editor of a news website from iran. >> president rouhani does not have the power to make any substantial change in iran. you have a sense that the president in iran is like a prime minister in an absolute monarchy. the prime minister of iran is just a prime minister to the supreme leader of iran, who has the power, and until now, the supreme leader has been quiet, and it is up to the supreme leader to make any changes, but anyar, we have not seen willingness from the supreme leader to make any changers -- changes. en: it started as being about falling living standards. it has now become clearly political. anger directed at the clerics and the supreme leader, as well. how will the clay arcs and the supreme leader be feeling about this? clerics -- the the supreme leader be feeling about this? will they be troubled about it at all? guest: it started as a demonstration, a manifestation of anger, frustration of people across iran, across the c

. -- they were doing that deliberately to destabilize and delegitimize rouhani. when the protests started to catch on, a younger demographic, they were getting involved possibly because of their disc and grievances for unemployment. we don't know. it seemed to catch on to some kind of different fever, different kind of waves that was more broadly aimed at the entire system, which encompasses those hardliners. some would argue, more than the rouhani administration. they are both being challenged by this. they will both try to protect their legacies going forward. tracy: dr. parsi joins us from washington. thank you so much. let's start out with a general overview. what do you think the significance of these protests are? dr. parsi: these are the biggest protests that have occurred since the 2009 uprising. the population went out in full force in objecting to the election back then. these are much smaller protests compared to 2009. it is also a different segment of society that is out there protesting. i've spoken to organizers of the green movement, they are large

your point about rouhani is good one this question of rouhani perceived certainly here in washington, elsewhere outside of iran as you know, a moderate, at least in the iranian context. we perceived the nuclear deal as an example that would lead potentially to further reforms. one question i have, for both of you is, to what extent are we seeing rouhani and those around him come up to the limits of what incremental within the system reform is possible? you mentioned the soviet union and the regimes studying of the collapse of the soviet union as something to be avoided. i was thinking about a classic late poem, fatal half-measures, right? is that what we're looking the at with rouhani, that he basically himself unleashed this because he is not able to deliver fully for people? what do we think, what does it tell us about the future of reform inside of the system? will it simply be a pretext for more cracking down? >> i would say my theory is that that it is very similar to what you just suggested. that, you know, rouhani was the last, best, attempt to try to moderate the islamic repub

and iran's president hassan rouhani warns that there will be no tolerance for violent protests as new deaths are reported in anti-government protests it's. a matter of it is good to have you with us new year's revelers around the world have been treated to spectacular displays of pyrotechnics as the world welcomed the new year security arrangements were tight as people assembled at iconic venues around the world so we're going to begin our reports here in berlin at the brandenburg gate. the. germans may have a reputation for being reserved but not at new year the country goes firework crazy nowhere more than the capital berlin thousand strong the streets around the brandenburg gate to welcome two thousand and eighteen and t w reporter rebecca rivers was there to soak up the excitement. this night something here you can sense this here this kid said to days have gone off without a hitch he hadn't despite all the outbuilding can seem to night is the maid here he's been late and the people just want to have fun. just ten hours earlier the sky above sydney harbor was a blaze with colors a

coming up on two government demonstrations in iran defied threats all the crackdown president hassan rouhani appeals for calm book means there will be no tolerance for he calls on arrests with protests showing no signs of stopping the islamic republic cuts access to social media and arrests more than two hundred people. i'm helena humphrey good to have you with us new year's revelers around the globe have been treated to spectacular displays of pyrotechnics as the world welcomed the new year in new york thousands on times square braved frigid temperatures to celebrate twenty eighteen and minus twelve degrees celsius it was the second cold it's new year's eve on record which. security arrangements were tight as people assembled at iconic venues around the world we begin our report at the brandenburg gate in berlin. germans may have a reputation for being reserved but not at new year the country goes firework crazy and nowhere more than the capital berlin thousands throng the streets around the brandenburg gate to welcome two thousand and eighteen and d w reporter rebecca rivers was there to s

the president of iran, hassan rouhani, has appealed for calm, saying people have the right to protest, but not to commit acts of violence. in his first public comments since demonstrations against the government began on thursday, mr rouhani warned that violence and public disorder would not be tolerated. protests have now spread to many cities; and in tehran, police have used water cannon. here's kasra naji of the bbc persian service. central tehran during the fourth day of anti—government protest. these protesters are shouting death to the dictator, a reference to iran's supreme dictator, a reference to iran's supreme leader. the protest are the most serious challenge to the iranians clerical regime for many yea rs. as iranians clerical regime for many years. as the night fell, there were reports of demonstrations from at least a dozen or so cities up and down the country. president hassan rouhani has finally made a comment on the unrest days after they had started, the first top uranium leader to goose as. —— to do so. translation: protest within a illegal framework is free,

and iran's president hassan rouhani warns there will be no tolerance on record as new deaths are reported in anti government protests. somehow in the humphrey it's good to have you with us new year's ravenous around the world have been treated to spectacular displays of pyrotechnics as the world welcomed the new year security arrangements were tight as people assembled at iconic venues around the world we begin our report at the brandenburg gate here in bout it. germans may have a reputation for being reserved but not at new year the country goes firework crazy and nowhere more than the capital berlin thousand strong the streets around the brandenburg gate to welcome two thousand and eighteen and t w reporter rebecca rivers was there to soak up the excitement. despite something here and even then this year business entities have gone off without a hitch and despite all the out little they can seem to night is the maid here he's friendly and fun people just want to have fun. just ten hours earlier the sky above sydney harbor was a blaze with colors as australians greeted the new year. anot

and anti-government demonstrators in iran defied threats of a crackdown president has said rouhani appeals for calm but warns they'll be no tolerance for what he calls on the rest but with protests showing no signs of stopping the islamic republic cuts access to social media and arrests more than two hundred people. i'm helena humphrey good to have you with us now is revelers around the globe have been treated to spectacular displays of pyrotechnics as the world welcomed the new year the new year is only a couple of hours old in new york where revelers on times square braved frigid temperatures to celebrate twenty eighty at minus twelve degrees celsius it was the second coldest new year's eve on record. all security arrangements were tight as people assembled at iconic venues around the world we began our report at the brandenburg gate. germans might have a reputation for being reserved but not at new year the country goes firework crazy nowhere more so than the capital they're led and. despite the excitement the thousands that throng the streets around the brandenburg gate were only inter

the president of iran, hassan rouhani, has appealed for calm, saying people have the right to protest but not to commit acts of violence. in his first public comments since demonstrations against the government began on thursday, mr rouhani warned that violence and public disorder would not be tolerated. protests have now spread to many cities and in tehran, police have used water cannon. here's kasra naji of the bbc persian service. the centre of tehran during the fourth day of anti—government protests. these protesters are shouting "death to the dictator" — a reference to iran's supreme leader. the protests are the most serious challenge to the iranian clerical regime for many years. as the night fell, there were reports of demonstrations from at least a dozen or so cities up and down the country. president rouhani has finally made a comment on the unrest, days after they started — the first iranian leader to do so. he said iranians had a right to protest, but not to violence and destruction. he said iran had many problems that dated back to previous years — a reference to y

we heard from the iranian president hassan rouhani in rana's report. i've been speaking about his part in this story with maziar bahari, the editor of the news website, iran wire. president rouhani does not have the power to make any substantial changes in iran. you have to understand the president in iran is like the prime minister and an absolute monarchy. the president is just the prime minister to the supreme just the prime minister to the supreme leader, who has the power and until now the supreme leader has been quiet and it is up to the supreme been quiet and it is up to the supreme leader to make any changes. but so far we have not seen any willingness from the supreme leader to make changes. all this started as an economic protest against falling living standards and has now clearly become political, a lot of anger directed at the all powerful clerics, the supreme at the all powerful clerics, the supreme leader as well. how do you think the leader and clerics will be filling about all this, will they be trouble at all? the protest started as a

the president of iran, hassan rouhani, has appealed for calm, saying people have the right to protest but not to commit acts of violence. in his first public comments since demonstrations against the government began on thursday, mr rouhani warned that violence and public disorder would not be tolerated. protests have now spread to many cities, and in tehran, police have used water cannon. here's kasra naji of the bbc persian service. the centre of tehran during the fourth day of anti—government protests. these protesters are shouting "death to the dictator" — a reference to iran's supreme leader. the protests are the most serious challenge to the iranian clerical regime for many years. as the night fell, there were reports of demonstrations from at least a dozen or so cities up and down the country. president rouhani has finally made a comment on the unrest, days after they started — the first top iranian leader to do so. translation: the atmosphere for criticism, protests within a legal framework, is absolutely free. but the atmosphere for destruction and unrest is definitely

has failed to deliver on the promises he made during the presidential campaign as you know president rouhani of the first of term for the presidency his focus was the nuclear and he promised of course he promised iranian that you know the political situation will be changed and he promised that this cannot be done without fixing the foreign policy issue a whole including the nuclear the think based on that he was elected in the first time so as he has been the deal was signed in. summer two thousand and fifteen. hope was this deal brings you know a new support to the economy situation in iraq and assuming that the money there would be removing of sanctions would be in i would be open up for a foreign investment the political situation and the the will affect the economy situation assuming that was also there would be a change on the economy in iran you know with trump came and comes to power and you know unfortunately things has changed. president a trump he was not happy with the deal he was not happy with of iranian foreign policy and he started with demonizing iran again and we went back

the president of iran, hassan rouhani, has appealed for calm, saying people have the right to protest but not to commit acts of violence. in his first public comments since demonstrations against the government began on thursday, mr rouhani warned that violence and public disorder would not be tolerated. protests have now spread to many cities, and in tehran, police have used water cannon. here's kasra naji from the bbc‘s persian service. the centre of tehran during the fourth day of anti—government protests. these protesters are shouting "death to the dictator" — a reference to iran's supreme leader. the protests are the most serious challenge to the iranian clerical regime for many years. as the night fell, there were reports of demonstrations from at least a dozen or so cities up and down the country. president rouhani has finally made a comment on the unrest, days after they started — the first top iranian leader to do so. translation: the atmosphere for criticism, protests within a legal framework, is absolutely free, but the atmosphere for destruction and unrest is defin

president rouhani insists they are an "opportunity, not a threat". high time for a change — californians celebrate as cannabis is legalised for recreational use. and taking a stand against sexual harassment — stars launch a campaign to support women in the workplace. no snow? no problem. confidence from china ahead of the 2022 winter olympics. in iran, a police officer has been shot dead and three others wounded, after a fifth day of anti—government protests. it is the first death of a member of the security forces and represents a significant escalation in the unrest. what began as a protest against the rising cost of living now seems to be taking on political overtones. a dozen protesters have been killed in the last twenty four hours. our correspondent rana rahimpour, from the bbc‘s persian service, has the latest. once again, across iran, thousands of people have taken to the streets. a poster of the country's supreme leader, ali khamenei, set alight and then torn down. they are angry at unemployment, rising prices and what many of them s

on the blaming rouhani? because they are also calling for the death of the supreme leader, so where is the blame being placed here? >> it's very hard to find the political lines as they cut across iranian society. it's easy, maybe too easy to put them into two camps. on the one hand, you have moderates who support rouhani and his election, and on the and on the other hand you have hardline conservatives who aligned with the clerics and the ahmedejine line. what's interesting is that -- was much more of a rural populist and he was much more liked in those parts of the country than rouhani is. rouhani has had to do a lot of things that had a bad impact for your average working-class person in the rural parts of iran. he's cut subsidies way back that was simply not sustainable, the system he took over. he had to make a lot of reforms that cause a lot of pain in the lives of people. julia: up next, what unicorn frappuccinos and trending hashtags might tell us about economic growth in 2018. carol: plus, to raise

is it rouhani or they conservative hardliners? -- or is that they conservative hardliners? a good question. it is complicated and tricky to answer. i think it will be hugely challenging for rouhani because the very beginning of the protests were about his opponent coming out and protesting against him. gave the government the perception that they were doing that the liberally to destabilize and delegitimize rouhani. when the protests started to catch on, a younger demographic, they were getting involved possibly because of their disgruntle. catch on to some kind of different fever, different kind of waves that was the entirey aimed at system, which encompasses those hardliners. the would argue, more than rouhani administration. they are both being challenged by this. they will both try to protect their legacies going forward. dr. trader joins us from washington. let's start out with a general overview. what do you think the significant -- significance of these protests are? biggest are the protests that have occurred since 2009. an uprising when the population went out in f

is it rouhani or is that they conservative hardliners? golnar: that is a very good question. at the moment, it is tricky to answer. i think this is going to be hugely challenging for rouhani, because the very beginning of the protests were about his opponents coming out and protesting against him. that gave the government the perception that they were doing deliberately, to try to destabilize and delegitimize rouhani. but when the protests started to catch on, a younger demographic or getting involved, possibly because of their grievances for unemployment. we don't know. then it seemed to catch on to some kind of different fever, different kind of waves that was more broadly aimed at the entire system, which encompasses those hardliners, some would argue, more than the rouhani administration. they are both being challenged by this. they will both try to protect their legacies going forward. tracy: dr. trita parsi joins us now from washington. thank you so much. let's start out with a general overview. what do you think the significance of these protests actually is? dr. parsi

juan: human chen president rouhani. your assessment of president rouhani? is unusual that as a clerical hierarchy. yet the people often don't go along with the clerical hierarchy. see thoseresting to -- those hard-liners have been endorsing is almost always lost in these elections. these elections are not fully democratic because there's a etsrdian council that v candidate and a rather undemocratic way. as reza pointed out, but her participation is quite high. there is a civil rights move meant. there is a very strong civil society in iran that has really internalized democratic values. but what we're seeing right now is actually protesters from a different demographic who seem to believe they have nothing to lose, don't seem to buy into the idea that the system can be changed from within, but are so frustrated that they are now calling for the system to be overthrown altogether. amy: reza sayah, as you head back to iran. as you cover it for many years, president trump congratulating the protesters, challenging the establishment. you'u're in los anless righ

i was staggered by president rouhani actually saying, you know, to his own cohort, how can we expect these young people to live like we live? these are different generations, as you said, the majority weren't even born before the revolution. >> and the majority of voters have been born since the revolution. you have among that young generation you have official statistics claim 29% unemployment. if you include underemployment it could be as high as 40%. that's not sustainable. so the working classes are feeling the brunt of the economic issues plus the young who took to the streets. but this is not 2009 at all. we had eight days of protests. the green movement lasted for six months, then you had millions of people. what was stunning about these protests, you didn't have the reformers getting out on the street, the people who were the green movement protesters. there's not that coming together of the different factions in iran. >> and daniel, obviously people are looking at the whole sort of big picture. 1979, the revolution, was a pivotal year for hardline personal politics, religiou

that was the one great accomplishment of rouhani's first-term. he was able to bring inflation down into the single digits. it is back up again and furthermore, the price increases are concentrated in the items that are consumed by ordinary working people. spread prices rose for the first time in three years by 15% a couple weeks ago. iranians eat 353 pounds of bread a year. famously, egg prices and chicken prices are up sharply. furthermore, the rich in iran are flaunting their wealth. i recommend the instagram account that has well over a quarter million followers which is called rich kids of tehran. of can see the lifestyles the truly ostentatious. if you're in the market for a nice maserati, you can see a good selection of them. the parties that they throw, the clothes that they where. i know enough about clothing to say that is expensive. frankly, it looks like nothing happened in what the shah's days. when it organized a coronation ceremony, bringing thousands of foreign guests, chefs from france, they drink over 2000 bottles of wine. really

president rouhani says people have the right to protest, but violence is unacceptable. rana rahimpourfrom the bbc‘s persian service has been telling us that the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear. very conflicting reports and almost impossible to verify. the internet is almost shutdown and people say it takes half an hour to write a tweet so we have not received any footage and anything confirmed is almost impossible. but state television said about ten people have been killed overnight and they say they were rioters and some of them were armed. but it's impossible to find out. protesters say they have been killed by government forces. the evidence that these are serious protests is the fact that president rouhani was drawn to make these very clear comments. they have a right to protest, he said, but they don't have a right to be involved in violence, which implies that they had to take action of some kind to bring these protests to order. yes. that is why he has given a couple of speeches in the last 2a hours. clearly they feel there is serious tensi

that was the one great accomplishment of rouhani's first term. he was able to bring inflation down from 43% down into the single digits. it is back up again. and furthermore, the price increases are concentrated in the items that are consumed by ordinary working people. so bread prices rose for the first time in three years by 15% a couple weeks ago. iranians eat 353 pounds of bread a year. think about that. famously, egg prices and chicken prices are up sharply. furthermore, the rich in iran are flaunting their wealth. i recommend the instagram famously, egg prices and chicken prices are up sharply. furthermore, the rich in iran account that has well over a quarter million followers which is called rich kids of tehran. is called rich kids of tehran. you can see the lifestyles of the truly ostentatious. if you're in the market for a nice maserati, you can see a good selection of them. the parties that they throw, the clothes that they wear. i know enough about clothing to say that is expensive. frankly, it looks like nothing so much, the feel and

president rouhani says people have the right to protest, but violence is unacceptable. rana rahimpourfrom the bbc‘s persian service has been telling us that the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear. reports are almost impossible to verify because the internet is shut down. people say it takes half an hour to write a tweet so we haven't really received any footage and anything confirms almost impossible. state television said about ten people have been killed overnight, they say they were rioters and some of them were armed but it's impossible to find out. but protesters say they have been killed by government forces. i suppose the evidence that these are serious protests is the fact president rouhani was drawn to make these very clear comments that yes you have a right to protest but no you don't have a right to be involved in violence, which sort of implies they are about to take action of some kind to try and bring these protests to order. yes, and that's why he's given two speeches in the last 2a hours, clearly they feel there is serious tension. on

are they blaming rouhani? because they are also calling for the death of the supreme leader, so where is the blame being placed here? matthew: it's very hard to find the political lines as they cut across iranian society. it's easy, maybe too easy to put them into two camps. on the one hand, you have the reform minded moderates who support rouhani and his election, and on the and on the other hand you have hardline conservatives who aligned with the clerics and the ahmadinejad line. what's interesting is that it was much more of a rural populist and he was much more liked in those parts of the country than rouhani is. rouhani has had to do a lot of things that had a bad impact for your average working-class person in the rural parts of iran. he's cut subsidies way back that was simply not sustainable, the system he took over. he had to make a lot of reforms that cause a lot of pain in the lives of people. julia: up next, what unicorn frappuccinos and trending hashtags might tell us about economic growth in 201

president rouhani has appealed for calm. i'm joined now by rana rahimpour from the bbc persian service. what do we know about the circumstances in which these people died? reports are almost impossible to verify because the internet is shut down. people say it takes half an hourto shut down. people say it takes half an hour to write a tweet so we haven't really received any footage and anything confirms almost impossible. state television said about ten people have been killed overnight, they say they were rioters and some of them were armed but it's impossible to find out. but protesters say they have been killed by government forces.|j protesters say they have been killed by government forces. i suppose the evidence that these are serious protests is the fact president rouhani was drawn to make these very clear comments that yes you have a right to protest but no you don't have a right to be involved in violence, which sort of implies they are about to take action of some kind to try and bring these protests to order. yes,