The Iranian Street

LOCKED up somewhere in Tehran’s Evin Prison is a man named Mansour Osanlou. The number of Westerners who know his name is probably extraordinarily small, but he is extraordinarily important. He-and others like him-may be our best hope of neutralizing the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program.

Osanlou rose to prominence last December when, as president of a bus drivers’ syndicate in Tehran, he helped organize a protest against the drivers’ work conditions. The protest was mild: Drivers showed up on the job but refused to collect tolls, giving free rides to their passengers. Iran’s rulers nevertheless arrested several of the drivers’ leaders, including Osanlou.