AND IRAN BOILS:  This story deserves more attention.  There are major disturbances in Iran, initially triggered by the wrongful death of a woman in police custody.  The trouble is spreading, an indication of just how unpopular the mullahs really are.  This comes just at the time when tensions between the United States and Iran are particularly high, caused by a breakdown in talks over a new nuclear agreement.  From Reuters:

Iranian authorities said on Wednesday three people including a member of the security forces had been killed during unrest sweeping the country, as anger at the death of a woman in police custody fueled protests for a fifth day.

Rights groups reported at least one more person was killed on Tuesday, which would take the death toll to least seven.

The death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for “unsuitable attire," unleashed simmering anger over issues including freedoms in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions.

After beginning on Saturday at Amini’s funeral in Iran‘s Kurdistan province, protests have engulfed much of the country, prompting confrontations as security forces have sought to suppress them.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not mention the protests – some of Iran‘s worst unrest since street clashes last year over water shortages – during a speech on Wednesday commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

A top Khamenei aide paid condolences to Amini’s family this week, promising to follow up on the case and saying the Supreme Leader was affected and pained by her death.

The official IRNA news agency said a “police assistant” died from injuries on Tuesday in the southern city of Shiraz.

“Some people clashed with police officers and as a result one of the police assistants was killed. In this incident, four other police officers were injured,” IRNA said. An official quoted by IRNA said 15 protesters were arrested in Shiraz.

COMMENT:  Instability in both Iran and Russia at the same time is a bad brew.  In 2009 there were large demonstrations in Iran , and it took President Obama, that great champion of liberty, about four days to walk up to a microphone and give the demonstrators a minimal expression of support.  We aren't even seeing that much from the Biden team today.  Appeasement of Iran is in their DNA.  Mustn't get the mullahs too angry while there's still hope they'll agree to some nuclear deal that will look good to a five-year-old.

September 21-22, 2022