Economics

Trump Plays Into Hands of Iran’s Hard-Liners

The unraveling of the nuclear deal has left the Islamic Republic at a critical political juncture.

Iranians burn American flags during an anti-U.S. demonstration outside the former U.S. embassy headquarters in Tehran, on May 9. — Iranians burn American flags during an anti-U.S. demonstration outside the former U.S. embassy headquarters in Tehran, on May 9.
Photographer: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg

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By Golnar Motevalli

May 11, 2018 at 5:01 AM UTC

Updated on

May 11, 2018 at 2:06 PM UTC

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Things were looking up for Iranians like Mohammadreza Azali. Two months after the nuclear deal was struck in 2015, he started an English-language technology news website in Tehran as the reformist politicians he supported opened up the country.

Then came the election of Donald Trump.