World: Why have protests in Iran gained steam once again?
- Leader loss Grand Ayatollah Ali Hossein Montazeri was one of the strongest supporters of the protest movement, and his death re-energized the protesters.
- Wider net Montazeri’s death did not just affect students but older, middle-class Iranians, which gives the protests a broader base of support than before.
- Important day Beyond being the seventh day after Montazeri’s death, it is also the Ashura holiday – a holy day for Shiite Muslims. Iran is a largely Shiite country. source