The United States and Iran formally signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17. Under the terms, which include ending sanctions on Iran, releasing its frozen funds, and pledging not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs, both sides have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire to allow further negotiations toward a final peace deal.
The following Journal of Democracy essays cover the war that began on February 28 with attacks launched by the United States and Israel, the massive uprising of Iranians that preceded it, and the most recent chapter of the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of its people.
The Islamic Republic’s War on Iranians
Iran’s theocracy has waged a brutal campaign against its own citizens for years. Now that the Woman, Life, Freedom movement has stripped the regime of any legitimacy, the mullahs have had no response but to sharpen their instruments of repression.
By Ladan Boroumand
The War with Iran Made the IRGC Stronger
If one of the goals of the war was to decimate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it has had the opposite effect. The IRGC will come out of the conflict stronger and more embedded in Iranian politics.
By Roya Izadi
Why the Iranian Regime Owns the Streets
The progovernment rallies that crowd Iran’s streets are no accident. They are a critical and underappreciated pillar of the regime’s strength, and they are shaping Iran’s response to the war.
By Mohammad Ali Kadivar
Why the Islamic Republic Still Stands
After January’s mass protests, Iran seemed on the verge of revolutionary upheaval. How is it weathering the U.S.-Israeli assault?
By Peyman Asadzade
Iran’s Democratic Hopes Amid the Smoke of War
If the war ends with the dismantling of the regime’s repressive apparatus, the Iranian people will have a rare, if fraught, opportunity. The totalitarian mindset often survives totalitarian regimes.
By Ladan Boroumand
Iran’s Massacres Will Haunt the Regime
Iran’s hardline government responded to nationwide protests with horrific violence, killing thousands of Iranians in a matter of days. There is nothing the regime can offer its people to regain their support.
By Ehsan Habibpour and Sharan Grewal
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Image Credit: Anonymous/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images