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CAIRO, Jan. 10-- Iran is expected to contain the ongoing protests that have been going on for a couple of weeks and thus frustrate the U.S. hopes for "time for change" in the Islamic republic, said Egyptian political experts. Over the past week, protests erupted in a number of Iranian cities against the government's economic policies. Reports say that at least 20 people, including civilians and policemen, were killed and dozens wounded during violent clashes between protesters and security forces that arrested some 3,700 demonstrators so far. "The Iranian ongoing protests and state of unrest will be contained by a government announcement of a series of economic and social procedures and policies in the country," said Medhat Hammad, professor of Iranian and Gulf studies at Egypt's Tanta University. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for the Iranian protesters and said "it's time for change in Iran," while the U.S. House of Representatives has recently adopted a resolution supporting Iranian anti-government protesters and condemning the regime's crackdown on them. "The U.S. position in favor of the ongoing unrest in Iran is natural as it reflects the U.S. desire to topple the Iranian regime, which confirms the U.S. conflict with and hostility to Iran," Hammad said. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blames foreigners, including the United States and Israel, for inciting the recent unrests in the Persian country, referring to them as "enemies." | 
