Violent Iranian protests stretch into second week
Demonstrations in Iran over the government’s handling of the economy – the largest in three years – continued over the weekend and turned deadly amid clashes with security forces, with a human rights agency reporting that 20 protesters have been killed. Iranian leaders delivered contrasting responses to the unrest: President Masoud Pezeshkian called on the Interior Ministry to take a “kind and responsible” approach, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that rioters should be “put in their place.” US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his pledge on Sunday to take action against Iran if protesters face violence.
Wouldn’t EU just know it
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that the United Kingdom should align more closely with European Union markets “if it’s in our national interest,” a signal that the Labour government may try to undo certain aspects of Brexit. He’s repeatedly stressed that the UK won’t rejoin the single market or customs union, which it quit after voting to leave the EU a decade ago. Starmer’s past views on the UK’s exit are nonetheless clear: he campaigned for Remain ahead of the 2016 referendum, and called on his party to back a reversal of Brexit ahead of the 2019 general election. As such, his language yesterday will rattle Brexiteers.
South Korea’s leader to test China relations
Stepping into Beijing yesterday for the start of his four-day visit, President Lee Jae-myung became the first South Korean leader to visit China since 2019. He holds a summit Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where he is expected to push for the full denuclearization of the Korean peninsula – this comes after North Korea tested hypersonic missiles on Sunday. In the past, China has openly opposed North Korea’s nuclear weapons construction, but has softened its language in recent years. Lee is also expected to request that China ends its unofficial ban on South Korea’s impressive array of cultural content (although Chinese residents have reportedly found a way to watch the hit show “Squid Games”). South Korea has been a major US ally, home to nearly 30,000 US troops, but Lee has struck a more warmer tone toward China than his predecessors. Will it pay off?
