Giving Compass' Take:

• Dalia Dassa Kaye at RAND Corporation gives a number of concrete steps the U.S. should take to assist the Iranian people during a time of mass chaos. 

• How can policymakers make the well-being of Iran more of a priority? 

• Learn how mobile apps are shaping civil society in Iran. 

Once again Iranians have flooded their country's streets to participate in widespread protests sparked by gasoline price hikes, only to be met by a brutal crackdown. But clearly the unrest was about more than the price of gas, reflecting deeper frustration and anger over the general economic malaise caused by a corrupt, repressive government and punishing U.S. sanctions.

During the protests, American officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, took to Twitter to express solidarity with the Iranian protesters, even tweeting in Persian and encouraging the reporting of human rights abuses by government officials engaging in violent crackdowns.

Yet, given current U.S. policies, such expressions of sympathy for the Iranian people may be difficult to take seriously. Beyond rhetorical support, there are a number of concrete steps the United States could take if concern for the Iranian people is a genuine priority, as it should be.

The Trump administration could lift its reinstatement of secondary sanctions against Iran that were imposed following its unilateral withdrawal in 2018 from the Iran nuclear agreement. While the intention of the sanctions may have been to bring Iran back to the negotiating table for a better deal, a new agreement has yet to result.

Read the full article about helping the Iranian people by Dalia Dassa Kaye at RAND Corporation.