Iran’s paramount leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on Iran’s domestic and foreign policies, is facing one of the most volatile and difficult years since he was appointed as the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader in 1989.

Iran has finally admitted that it shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane last week in Tehran. It is incumbent on the international community not to let the regime off the hook this time, and hold its leaders accountable for this tragic occurrence. 

The unexpected death of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force, should be viewed as a severe blow to Iran’s leadership, particularly its military apparatuses.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was once considered among the most popular political figures in Iran. He won the 2013 elections with a landslide victory, taking 50.71 percent of the vote.

Israel inflicted several blows on the Iranian regime in 2019, including in the last week, with cruise missiles reportedly launched towards Iranian and Syrian military positions near the latter’s capital, Damascus.

The Islamic Republic is tilting toward Asian countries in an unprecedented fashion. In the last few months, Iranian officials have increased their high-level talks and visits to Japan, China, India and South Korea.