Iran: Four decades of defiance

Every major wave of popular protest since the Shah’s overthrow in 1979 has sparked renewed talk of regime change – only to be met, each time, with a brutal response by the authorities

Opposition supporter during clashes with security forces in Tehran on Dec 27, 2009


1979: Post-revolution protests
Less than two weeks after Islamic Revolution, thousands of women march in Tehran against decree mandating hijab. Mandatory veiling is enforced nationwide in following years

July 1999: Student protests
Tehran University students protest closure of reformist newspaper Salam. Police raid dormitories, triggering demonstrations in multiple cities. Security crackdown leaves several students dead and hundreds jailed

2009: Green Movement
Millions protest disputed presidential election results that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. Security forces and Basij militias crush rallies after weeks of unrest, killing dozens and arresting thousands

2019: “Bloody November”
Fuel price hike sparks nationwide protests. State imposes internet blackout for first time as IRGC and police suppress demonstrations, killing hundreds, according to rights groups

2022-23: Mahsa Amini uprising
Death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini (right) in police custody triggers mass protests demanding women’s rights and political change. Hundreds killed, over 20,000 arrested, several protesters executed during months of unrest

2025-26: Economic unrest
Currency collapse and economic mismanagement spark nationwide protests, with chants questioning legitimacy of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Around 2,000 people reportedly killed in security crackdown amid threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene

1980
1990
2020
2010
2000

Sources: BBC, DW, ReutersPictures: Getty Images, Rana Javadi© GRAPHIC NEWS