Pompeo says Iran’s economy in ruins as protests grow

Iran’s economy has been “mostly ruined by the ayatollah and his henchmen,” former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said, arguing that a mix of internal mismanagement and US pressure has pushed the country toward sustained unrest.

Speaking to Fox News, Pompeo said on Wednesday that protests feel “large and a little bit different” this time because of severe economic strain, including water shortages and wasted resources. Past uprisings, he said, were crushed through killings and executions, but added that Iranians may now see “a real hope and a real opportunity” for fundamental change after decades of what he called corrupt, theocratic rule.