The domestic political climate in Iran

Abstract

After Mahsa ‘Jina’ Amini was killed on 16 September 2022 following an encounter with Iran’s morality police, protests broke out in more than 160 cities, with hundreds of people killed and over 20,000 arrested in the subsequent government crackdown. While these types of large demonstrations are no longer occurring, Iran’s political environment remains tense, with women openly flouting dress-code laws and regulations and the Islamic Republic making little progress implementing social and governance reforms discussed in response to the protest movement.