{"id":341545,"date":"2026-01-14T09:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=341545"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:55:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T11:55:34","slug":"editorial-why-irans-protests-are-different-this-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/editorial\/editorial-why-irans-protests-are-different-this-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Editorial: Why Iran\u2019s Protests Are Different This Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Anti-regime
Anti-regime protests in Karaj, central Iran \u2014 January 10, 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

What is unfolding in Iran today is not a sporadic protest or a fleeting emotional outburst. The renewed uprising that has surged in recent weeks and months is, in both scope and political clarity, more expansive and more radical than any previous wave. This time, a society has taken to the streets that has learned from experience, accumulated political consciousness, and found its direction. Iran\u2019s streets are witnessing the return of a people whose demands extend far beyond economic relief to an unmistakable call for fundamental change and an end to the entire structure of tyranny.<\/p>\n

These uprisings cannot be dismissed as \u201cspontaneous.\u201d Their roots lie in more than forty-five years of continuous struggle by the Iranian people and an organized resistance that has endured repression, imprisonment, executions, and exile\u2014and emerged politically mature. The lessons of earlier uprisings\u2014from January 2018 and November 2019 to the nationwide uprising of 2022<\/a>\u2014made clear that Iranian society has entered a new phase: one in which protest becomes organized, sustained, and explicitly targets the apex of power.<\/p>\n

Within this trajectory, the persistent, day-to-day activities of the MEK Resistance Units<\/a>, especially since the 2022 uprising, have been decisive. These networks prevented the flame of resistance from being extinguished. Through continuous, targeted, and inspirational actions, they kept the path of uprising alive. Today, the same rebellious youth are carrying that line forward in the streets\u2014an entire generation that no longer believes in reform, retreat, or cosmetic change to authoritarianism.<\/p>\n

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Iran's Rebellious Youth Target Regime Centers Response to Mass Executions<\/div><\/div>
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