Public unrest over the economy has built up for months. And while that anger was briefly redirected after the killing of a top general by the U.S., it quickly refocused on the Iranian authorities after they admitted to shooting down a passenger jet.

The fear of worse damage to national fortunes appears to have tempered the escalation of tensions with the U.S. — though some experts suggest that hard-liners may come to embrace the conflict as a means of stimulating the economy, or at least excusing its weakness.

Related: President Hassan Rouhani of Iran called for a special court to examine the downing of the plane, which killed 176 people, as protests flared in several cities.

Another angle: Britain, France and Germany took a first step toward reimposing further United Nations sanctions on Iran under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.