Confronting Iran Protests, Regime Uses Brute Force but Secretly Appeals to Moderates

As anti-government protests spread across Iran last month, the country’s top leaders secretly appealed to the two founding families of the Islamic Republic, the moderate Rafsanjani and Khomeini clans that Hardliners have ousted power, people familiar with the negotiations said.

Iran’s National Security Director, Ali Shamkhani, asked representatives of families to speak out publicly to defuse the unrest. If that happens, the liberalization measures the protesters seek could follow, the people said.