In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down the growing tensions between the US and Iran, calling it "the next area of potential large-scale conflict where President Trump is interested in changing the facts on the ground."
For over two weeks now, Iranians have been pouring into the streets in the largest demonstrations the country has seen since the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, and possibly since the 2009 Green Movement.
When the protests began 12 days ago, the focus was on Iran’s dire economic conditions. Anger at the Islamic Republic itself is exacerbating them, and raising questions about the regime’s long-term legitimacy.
2026 is a tipping point year. The biggest source of global instability won’t be China, Russia, Iran, or the ~60 conflicts burning across the planet – the most since World War II. It will be the United States.