Mahya Ostovar, an Iranian activist and assistant professor at the University of Galway in Ireland, recently spoke with the George W. Bush Institute’s Natalie Gonnella-Platts about the recent wave of protests in Iran and her hopes for the future of the country. Read the interview below:
Natalie Gonnella-Platts:
Today, Jan. 14, we are nearing three weeks now, since the onset of the most recent wave of protests against the Islamic Republic. Can you describe what is happening on the ground in Iran, who is protesting, and why people have mobilized at this particular point in time?
Mahya Ostovar:
It’s a bit difficult to exactly know what’s happening right now because we don’t have much information coming out of Iran. But what we have seen before the internet shutdown, before the blackout from the videos and images that were coming out of Iran, and testimonies of people who were on the street, is that this seems like the biggest protest ever.
Some people were saying that these are even bigger than those days in the 2009 Green Movement (a significant protest in Iran following allegations of fraud in the presidential election) that we have seen. The important thing is that the protests seem widespread across different cities. I think they have counted more than a hundred cities involved in the protest.
And even in small cities. I don’t know if you have seen viral videos from Abdanan which is a Kurdish city with a population of around 25,000. There were videos where it seemed like the entire city was on the street. They were chanting “death to dictator,” and they were supporting Reza Pahlavi (an opposition figure and the son of the shah deposed during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, currently living in the U.S).
What I see in terms of the profile of protestors is that this time might be different because the people that are on the street, you can’t classify them as one type, or one profile. It seems that despite different grievances, different types of sufferings, all these people have come together for one demand: for the Islamic Republic to end. That’s what unifies them. Some of them might be in support of Reza, some of them might not be in support of Reza—yet this is almost the first time that we see people are risking their lives and chant in support of one opposition figure on the streets in Iran. But what unifies them is that they feel that it is time for the regime to go.
Many would say that this is because of the economic conditions. I have seen people saying that Iranians are always on the street. This has happened so many times that it feels like, for 20 years, Iranians each year are on the street, and nothing happens. So, this time is just yet another time people are on the street. But the thing is that there have been different triggers for different protests and different movements.
This time it might be economic — it started like that, but it didn’t end there because all the videos that we have seen from the country are not slogans about the economic situation. What they’re saying is “death to dictator,” “death to Khamenei.” And the demands are so revolutionary that they’re targeting basically the entire regime.
I think the whole purpose of it, people on the street, is they want to make one message clear because right now they feel that the international environment might be more supportive. They want to show the world that they don’t recognize the Islamic Republic as their legitimate government anymore. They want to make this clear, and it seems that it’s not still clear for the world, despite seeing these images.
Natalie Gonnella-Platts:
It’s astounding and so courageous. I think a point that warrants greater scrutiny is that the regime, the IRGC, they’re actively using lethal response.
Having been on the streets protesting in 2009 during the Green Revolution, can you share more about the grave risks that the protesters are facing in all of this? So much of it is hidden from the world because of the internet blackout, but still, people have persisted, and people have turned out every day despite the risks.
Mahya Ostovar:
Exactly. Natalie, I think you mentioned a really good point. Every time I do an interview, I really emphasize this because I think it is not clear to people that they are truly risking their lives. The thing is, they know better than anybody what can happen to them. They have seen it so many times. They have experienced it so many times that they know very well they can be killed on the street. If not killed, they can be arrested, they can be tortured, and they can be executed.
Just last year alone, the Islamic Republic executed more than a thousand people, and this was not during a time of crisis. There were basically no protests going on.
Natalie Gonnella-Platts:
I think it was the highest number of executions in over a decade, and executions occurred throughout 2025.
Mahya Ostovar:
Exactly. These risks exist, and people know about them because they can see it, they can hear it, and they can see somebody shot next to them. I am not saying they are not afraid. From the outside, it seems like they are fearless. It seems like they do not care anymore, like they are so fed up that they feel, “That’s it. I have nothing to lose.” But they actually do have something to lose. Even if they are in the worst condition ever, they still have their lives.
They are really brave. I cannot even imagine. During the mass movement, I kept asking myself if I were inside Iran, what would I do? Would I have the courage to go to the streets? I have lived in that context during the Green Revolution. I know how frightening and horrifying it is.
The thing is, we still do not fully know. People who have seen videos, who have heard testimonies from people on the ground, including human rights advocates who have been in constant contact and have seen these crimes, are all saying that this time is different. This time is worse than we ever imagined. That is why I feel this is truly a humanitarian crisis. Because the Islamic Republic was successful in cutting off all communication and completely isolating the country from the outside world, nobody has fully believed it yet. But everybody is afraid of the moment communication is restored, because the amount of video that will come out and the number of dead bodies we will see is scary.
Natalie Gonnella-Platts:
Reports this week alone indicated anywhere from 7,000 to 12,000 and even figures upwards of 20,000 have been killed. The regime itself has acknowledged thousandsof fatalities as a result of their response to people demanding their basic human rights.
You have been a longstanding advocate for the rights and well-being of women, not just in Iran, but also with a strong affinity for women in Afghanistan and around the world.
What has been the role and impact of women in the protest movement today and in the past? What do you want people to know about Iranian women and their leadership in seeking a free and fair future for your country?
Mahya Ostovar:
I think everybody probably remembers the Women, Life, Freedom movement, and I do not see what is happening right now as separate from what happened in 2022. It is the same path. It is the same trajectory. Second, I feel that the movement…the consequences and the impact that movement had were cultural. It really changed and transformed people’s mindsets. I have people in my family who have been religious, and now I am hearing from them that they are not wearing hijab anymore, for example. The things I hear from them make me think, “I did not expect to hear that from this person.”
That movement changed the values of society, and it was very successful in changing those values in everyday life. One thing that we believe in and know because we can see the change is that women are not wearing the hijab anymore. But it is not only that. More and more people really believe in equality and women’s rights. That was truly the success of that movement.
This movement now is more targeted toward the political structure because people feel they were not successful three years ago in overthrowing the regime. So now they are basically focusing on that. But I do not believe the values of that movement have vanished. I am seeing a transformation of that movement.
Similarly, this fight has been going on for a very long time. During the Green Movement, I was a 20-year-old. That was in 2009. When I look back, we wanted the same thing. We just were not brave enough, and we could not articulate exactly what we wanted because we thought there might be another way to achieve freedom and secure the rights we were asking for.
But over these 16 or 17 years, people have realized there is no other way. The only way is to overthrow the regime.
Regarding the role of women…when the Islamic Republic came to power, one of the first things they did was target women. It was not only about the hijab, but the material and symbolic part of it that you see. It became like a uniform that identifies you as a second-class citizen in society, which is something everyone can see.
And women’s rights were targeted from the beginning. That is why women’s rights became one of the most radical demands in almost all of these movements.
That is also why women have become the forefront fighters in this struggle, because they were treated as second-class citizens. And now what is happening is that it is not only women. We have religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and all of these groups, although they have different grievances, have realized they are unified in one demand. That demand is that the Islamic Republic has to go.
They have realized that all these discriminations and grievances can only be resolved if the Islamic Republic is no longer in power, because it is the Islamic Republic that imposes one lifestyle and elevates one group of people over others because of its ideology – because of political Islam. That is why all other minority groups are rendered inferior.
People now see that equal rights can only be achieved if the Islamic Republic is not there.
Natalie Gonnella-Platts:
Thinking beyond Iran’s borders, what is your call to action? What is your ask, not just of elected leaders or policymakers here and across the global community, but what can the everyday American do to demonstrate solidarity and support for the incredibly courageous Iranians who are on the front lines of this very risky push for a more free and fair future?
Mahya Ostovar:
First of all, I think even in terms of policymakers, public opinion matters a lot. That is why it matters that you show and express your opinion. It matters that Americans show they support Iranians, even if it is on social media, even if they do not go to the streets…although it would be even better if they did.
What I am saying is that public opinion matters because you are living in a democratic country. Your policymakers, to some extent, care about public opinion because they care about getting elected again. So the best way I can think of engaging is simply to express your opinion.
If you want to make more effort, of course you can call policymakers or ask them to do what you feel is best for Iran. But there are different things. What I always think about is that the international community and international law have unfortunately failed the Iranian people many times.
Right now, Iranians are really looking to the outside world because they feel that it is their only hope for change. They feel they cannot do it by themselves anymore. And I feel the world is not even doing the bare minimum. For example, Europe has exhausted all options of diplomacy…statements and condemnations – and it is clearly not enough. They have tried diplomacy for decades. The same is true for the United States.
I think what the public needs to understand is that this is not only about Iran. It is about the Middle East. It is about a region that could be more peaceful, where people could live more equally and peacefully, without external forces telling them that one ideology or one group of people is superior to another.
And the thing is that the Islamic Republic – not Iran – the Islamic Republic defines itself in part by being an enemy of the United States and an enemy of Israel. Imagine that this country could instead become an ally under a different kind of government.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
