Four-minute read
The clerical regime in Iran, cornered by escalating internal unrest and regional challenges, has amplified its oppressive measures against dissenting voices and marginalized communities. From the imposition of draconian laws targeting women to an alarming rise in executions, Tehran’s actions reflect a desperate attempt to suppress growing discontent and stave off the threat of another nationwide uprising.
Regional and Nuclear Crises Shape Domestic Repression
Facing heightened tensions in the Middle East coupled with ongoing nuclear standoffs with Western powers, the regime views its existence as increasingly precarious. The state-affiliated Kayhan newspaper recently warned that “Iran’s ultimate target is being attacked” as it linked Syrian developments to a broader strategy aimed at undermining Tehran’s influence. Highlighting offers allegedly made to Bashar al-Assad to abandon Iran, Kayhan called negotiation with such “treacherous and sworn enemies” the “height of naivety.”
This sense of regional siege is mirrored in statements from Iranian officials, such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who described the increasing presence of Takfiri forces in Syria as “new plots against the Islamic Republic.” With escalating economic sanctions on the horizon, high-ranking officials like Ebrahim Rezaee have even threatened to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, underscoring the regime’s hardline defiance.
#IranProtests Spread Nationwide as Economic Grievances Escalatehttps://t.co/3uDNBy7vQF
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 28, 2024
Escalating Social Unrest Across Iran
Meanwhile, nationwide protests continue to reflect the depth of public dissatisfaction. Last week, retirees, workers, and healthcare professionals demonstrated all across the country. In Bushehr, thousands of contract workers from 12 gas facilities staged a massive rally outside the South Pars Gas Complex, united in demanding fair wages and payment of arrears after months of scattered protests. Healthcare professionals in Ahvaz escalated their strikes, with surgical teams refusing to work until their demands for wage adjustments and fair workloads were met. Simultaneously, retired teachers in Yazd gathered outside the provincial Planning and Budget Office, protesting inadequate pensions and systemic corruption.
The protests extend beyond economic grievances, with members of the PMOI Resistance Units boldly defying the regime’s extensive security apparatus by carrying out daring operations to amplify the message of resistance and promote the cause of the Iranian Resistance.
Meanwhile, rebellious youth across Iran have continued their acts of defiance, targeting symbols of oppression such as Basij militia bases and IRGC headquarters in cities including Zahedan, Mashhad, and Tehran, among others. These actions underscore the growing determination of Iran’s youth to challenge the regime’s repressive authority.
State media itself has acknowledged the regime’s vulnerability. The Jomhouri Eslami newspaper recently warned of a “revolution of the hungry,” highlighting the dire consequences of systemic corruption, class disparity, and economic mismanagement. “One day, this pent-up anger will erupt like a volcano, unleashing the army of the deprived and the hungry against the perpetrators of this injustice,” it cautioned.
New “Chastity and Hijab” Law Targets Women
Hence, desperately trying to withstand the inevitable, the regime has weaponized its newly minted “Chastity and Hijab” law to enforce gender apartheid under the guise of cultural values. Set to be implemented on December 13, the law imposes crippling financial penalties, ranging from 5 million to 165 million toman—equivalent to 20 months of a minimum-wage worker’s earnings—for repeated violations of mandatory hijab regulations. Women deemed non-compliant may also face restricted access to essential services, including passports and driver’s licenses.
The newly passed "Chastity and Hijab" law in #Iran is a clear violation of women's rights, restricting freedom and imposing severe control over women’s lives. We’ve put together a quick slideshow to highlight the most critical provisions of this law and show how it targets women,… pic.twitter.com/gGbG8y6JHL
— Women's Committee NCRI (@womenncri) December 2, 2024
Even insiders have openly warned against the new initiative. State-affiliated legal expert Kambiz Norouzi described it as “purely political,” arguing that it is “so disconnected from social realities that even partial implementation could spark social crises.” Meanwhile, Gholamhossein Karbaschi, a former Tehran mayor, warned that “a large segment of the population will resist such laws, regardless of the penalties.”
The NCRI Women’s Committee labeled the law a “criminal and inhumane” mechanism for stifling dissent, urging international bodies to condemn its implementation. “The regime’s actions are designed to instill fear, but they will not intimidate Iranian women,” said NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.
The Iranian regime has also intensified its restrictions on internet access to curtail dissent and suppress public discourse. The ongoing censorship includes blocking popular social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram, tools that Iranians have historically used to organize protests and amplify their voices. These restrictions have further limited access to independent information, forcing many to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs), which the regime has actively worked to disrupt.
Iran’s regime sentences six political prisoners to death https://t.co/emPdK1mNna
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 1, 2024
Escalating Executions and Targeted Oppression
The regime’s brutality extends to its treatment of political prisoners. On November 30, 2024, the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed that six political prisoners—Abolhassan Montazer, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amrian, Babak Alipour, Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Mohammad Taghavi—were sentenced to death. Charges against them include membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), “armed rebellion,” and “collusion against national security.”
These individuals endured months of brutal torture and relentless interrogation under the oversight of Revolutionary Court Judge Iman Afshari. Simultaneously, the regime continues to accelerate its execution campaign. Last month alone, at least 145 executions were documented, bringing the total to 540 since Massoud Pezeshkian assumed the presidency.
Pushing Society Toward the Point of No Return
The Iranian regime’s strategy for survival over the past four decades has been rooted in two main pillars: internal repression and exporting crises and wars beyond its borders. Its warmongering in the region and pursuit of nuclear weapons are aimed at preserving the regime and deterring a popular uprising. Following the 2022 uprising, the regime intensified its regional warmongering efforts to divert attention from domestic unrest. However, the setbacks faced by its proxy forces have backfired, weakening its influence and deepening its isolation.
Behind Regional Aggression, #Iran Conceals an Underlying Internal Perilhttps://t.co/EktfmSNhGL
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 30, 2024
This has left the regime increasingly reliant on domestic oppression, resorting to widespread crackdowns and executions of prisoners. Yet, these brutal measures have only fueled public outrage, bringing the already disillusioned population closer to dismantling the regime’s machinery of repression. As long as the regime remains in power, it will neither abandon regional interventions and crisis-making nor halt its nuclear ambitions or domestic oppression—because these tactics are fundamental to its survival strategy.
