Iran has been plagued by economic turmoil and popular unrest in recent years as international sanctions stiffened and citizens bucked against the regime’s grip on civil life. The death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, after her arrest for wearing an improper hijab, spawned a countrywide protest movement. Instead of reforming, the clerical dictatorship responded by ratcheting up repression as the economy continued to crater. Last December, widescale protests again broke out. This time, the regime’s crackdown spiraled into massacres that claimed the lives of thousands, including children.
Following is a selection of the Journal of Democracy’s Iran coverage — the January killings, the political lay of the land, and the Woman Life Freedom movement inspired by Mahsa Amini’s death at the hand of a brutal regime.
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.
Ehsan Habibpour and Sharan GrewalThe 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.
Ladan BoroumandWhy Iran Is Entering a Dangerous Moment
The country’s recent elections revealed deep fissures in Iranian society and there is already growing disillusionment with the new president. With mounting economic worries, Iran is in a volatile state.
Mohammad Ayatollahi TabaarThe Empty Promise of Iran’s New President
Masoud Pezeshkian won’t be a “reformer” in any genuine sense. Like all Iranian presidents, he has pledged his loyalty to Iran’s supreme leader. What he really offers is a softer version of Iran’s grim repression.
Ladan BoroumandIs Iran on the Verge of Another Revolution?
There have been numerous waves of protest against the country’s corrupt theocracy. This time is different. It is a movement to reclaim life. Whatever happens, there is no going back.
Asef BayatWhy Women Are Leading the Fight in Iran
Iran’s women were the Islamic Republic’s first target for repression. This is the newest chapter in their struggle to win back their rights.
Ladan BoroumandIran Erupts
Iranians are once again flooding the streets in protest. How is this wave of demonstrations different?
Peyman Asadzade
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Image credit: Majidreza / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images