Power Projection in the Dark: Iran’s Status Anxiety and Digital Repression

As Iran faces its largest wave of protests in years, the government has responded with deadly repression and a sweeping internet blackout. Beyond domestic control, these actions reflect a deeper status anxiety: an effort to project strength and legitimacy at home and abroad, even at significant economic and political cost.

Middle EastNolan O'KeefeMarch 17, 2026Iran, political psychology, power projection, regime legitimacy, national security, regime survival, protest control, civil unrest, currency collapse, internet blackout, censorship, sovereignty