Khamenei regime will not be able to keep control of Iran, says dissenting film-maker

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, speaking from the US where he is promoting his film "It Was Just an Accident," predicts the Khamenei regime will inevitably collapse following its violent suppression of recent protests in Iran. Sparked by economic grievances in late December, the protests have been met with deadly crackdowns by security forces, resulting in thousands of reported deaths. Panahi believes the government is aware of its unsustainable position and may be aiming to destroy the country. He also criticized the internet blackout imposed before the crackdown. Panahi, who has been jailed multiple times for his activism and filmmaking, received a one-year prison sentence in absentia in December but intends to return to Iran.

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