Protests bordering on revolution in Iran

The current uprising against the Islamic Republic is different from those of the past

The most important protests in over a decade are raging in the streets of Iran right now, and President Biden has a fleeting opportunity to affect the outcome. It’s not our job to topple all repressive foreign regimes, but it’s necessary at some point to recognize the citizens of a country who rise up to redefine their political system—especially a system as corrupt and violent as the Islamic Republic. With the Iranian protests now bordering on outright revolution, the time for that recognition is now.

Recent events began to snowball after the brutal murder of a 22-year old woman by the state morality police for her failure to wear proper Islamic headgear. In days since then, the outrage over Mahsa Amini’s death has spread to every corner of the country, and the outrage has opened an outlet for discontent that has been building for years. While these are not the first protests to sweep the country, these protests are different for three reasons.

First, the level of unity among the people is unprecedented. Typically, the regime has responded to civil disobedience by…

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