Jimmy Carter, blamed by many Iranians for the revolution, dies at 100

Videos and photos of Movahed’s unprecedented act of defiance went viral on social media very quickly, becoming known only as “The Enghelab Avenue Girl” after, having climbed a utility box on Enghelab (Revolution) Ave in Tehran on December 27, 2017, removed her white headscarf, tied it on a stick, and waved it in protest.

The young mother of 32 was arrested within minutes.

Movahed was freed from prison a month later after her first arrest, but her bravery inspired several other young women who came to be known as the 'Enghelab Avenue Girls', protesting on the same spot.

Authorities were eventually forced to build a gable on top of the utility box to stop more girls from climbing it to protest.

Nearly a year later, the young mother climbed a turquoise dome in the center of the very busy Enghelab Square in downtown Tehran with a bunch of red, white, and turquoise balloons and a red and black headscarf in her hand to protest again. She was arrested and was this time sentenced to one year in prison for “inciting people to corruption and immorality” by unveiling.

Movahed served eight months at the notorious Qarchak Prison in the south of Tehran. She has not been seen in public since being freed in 2019 but her name and memory are honored by many every year on social media.

And today, her legacy lives large, thousands of women now appearing unveiled in public arenas, forcing authorities to retreat from implementing a harsh new hijab law drawn up by ultra-hardliners.

The movement was given a rebirth in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. It sparked the Woman, Life, Freedom protests across the country in September 2022, protests which lasted for months and saw a tide turn against the compulsory Islamic dress.

During and after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, scores of celebrities including artists and athletes posted unveiled photos on social media or attended public events with no headscarves. Most of the artists who expressed solidarity with the anti-compulsory hijab movement have been banned from acting, suffering other penalties such as bank account freezes and travel bans.

The public pressure has grown so much in the past year that even Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appears to have agreed to the shelving of a new and more radical law to enforce hijab, for the fear of inciting unrest if brought into effect.

In a speech in April 2023, Khamenei said that flouting hijab was “religiously and politically haram (forbidden)”, accused foreign intelligence services of encouraging Iranian women to disobey the mandatory head-dress, and urged the authorities to do whatever it took to enforce it.

In his latest speech to a group of women on 17 December, very uncharacteristically, he did not refer whatsoever to the hijab issue and the controversies surrounding it.

Public acts in defiance of the hijab have grown to new heights in recent months despite authorities' threats of severe legal crackdowns, occasional violence against women on the streets, and measures such as impounding vehicles if unveiled women are spotted in them.

There have been a string of now iconic protesters since. In early November, another young woman, Ahu Daryaei, shed her clothes at a university campus in Tehran, reportedly after being harassed by hijab enforcers. She was arrested and sent to a mental health facility but was freed later without charges being brought against her after the story went worldwide.

A few weeks later, Parastoo Ahmadi, a songstress, performed in a historic caravansary in a black evening dress that showed her bare shoulders and streamed her concert live on YouTube. Ahmadi and her band were arrested too but were later released on heavy bail.

Before Movahed’s public act, women’s defiance of hijab had only been done in safe spaces. A campaign was launched by women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad in 2014 on Facebook, My Stealthy Freedom.

Women contributed photos of themselves taken in the car on quiet roads with their hair flowing on their shoulders or in other places where they could “stealthily” remove their headscarves.

But nothing could have predicted the country's biggest rebellion against the mandatory hair covering which has swept the nation, posing the biggest challenge to the government since the Islamic Republic was founded as women from all over Iran continue to rise up.

Ali Zeynivand, the political deputy of Iran's Interior Ministry, told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) on Saturday that individuals behind recent protests against issues such as the easing of internet restrictions, have been summoned and cautioned.

“There have been discussions within the Ministry of Interior regarding the recent rallies,” Zeinivand said. Provincial governors have been instructed to take firm action against protests that could jeopardize national unity and solidarity. All rallies must have official permits in Iran, he added.

Zeynivand’s warning follows growing criticism from political figures and media outlets, who have pointed out that while political parties and groups are routinely denied permits for rallies, ultra-hardliner vigilantes continue to stage protests with impunity against the government whenever and wherever they wish.

It remains unclear whether the Interior Ministry’s move to curb the activities of vigilantes is driven by the President's admiinstration, a higher authority such as the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), or is a direct directive from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei whose policies guide Iran's key security ministries of interior, intelligence, and defense.

Ultra-hardliners have accused President Masoud Pezeshkian of colluding with Iran's enemies by advocating negotiations with the West to lift crippling sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy.

They also criticize him for what they say is undermining Islamic values by resisting demands to implement a new hijab law and for taking steps to ease internet restrictions.

The group of hardliners also hold Pezeshkian responsible for the lack of a military response to Israeli airstrikes on Iran in October, accusing him of delaying the so-called “True Promise 3” retaliation.

As they look to attribute blame, the president has also become the fall guy for the depreciation of the national currency and the ongoing power outages, which the government attributes to the previous administration’s failure to stockpile fuel for power plants adequately.

Vigilantes have a long record of attacking political meetings and universities, threatening and slandering top officials including presidents and government officials in street rallies and in their media over the years but their recent focus on Pezeshkian’s government has become particularly relentless now, the reformist Arman-e Melli newspaper wrote in an editorial Saturday.

The newspaper’s editorial referred to these actions as ultra-hardliners' “street maneuvers” to pressure the government.

Vigilantes, often linked to the Revolutionary Guards' Basij militia, were behind the high-profile attacks on the British embassy in November 2011 and the Saudi embassy in January 2016, both of which led to significant diplomatic crises for Iran.

Although the perpetrators were well-known to authorities, they were never held accountable for the extensive damage inflicted on Iran's international reputation and relations.

100%

Earlier this week, ultra-hardliners linked to the Paydari (Steadfastness) Party and another group with close ties to the former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili announced plans to protest after Friday prayers on motorbikes against the government’s decision to unblock WhatsApp and Google Play. However, reports indicated that turnout for the protest was minimal, with only about a dozen participants.

“The question is, who has allowed them to have such power to be able to cause disruptions in the city, make baseless allegations against authorities, and to insult and threaten them,” the article asked while contending that Pezeshkian’s government will not be able to deal with ultra-hardliners and stop them from harming the system under the name of the revolution by talks and invitation to unity.

Iran's government is grappling with multiple crises, both domestic and international. Abroad, its military stand-off with Israel and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria have thrown foreign policy into chaos. Direct attacks from Israel have seriously damaged Iran's defense systems while losing its stronghold in Syria has weakened its influence across the region.

Meanwhile, at home, economic challenges such as high inflation and the unprecedented depreciation of the national currency, serious energy shortages, and widespread popular discontent over issues like hijab enforcement and internet filtering still risk sparking further unrest.

“The subject of Italy’s negotiations with Iranian officials has been the release of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi in exchange for Cecilia Sala,” the daily reported.

Although La Repubblica linked Sala’s case to a potential swap involving Abedini, sources in the Italian Foreign Ministry denied he was part of the negotiations. Some officials also ruled out financial exchanges.

Cecilia Sala, 29, a newspaper journalist and podcaster, has been jailed in Iran on unknown charges for over a week.

Her arrest is widely seen as retaliation for the arrest of Abedini, whom US authorities say provided materials for a deadly Iran-linked drone attack on US troops in Jordan.

He was apprehended at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on December 16 and investigators found in his luggage electronic components linked to the US charges.

Earlier this month, the US Justice Department charged Abedini and another Iranian, Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi - who was arrested in the United States - with conspiring to export sensitive US technology to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Iran last week summoned a senior Italian diplomat and the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents US interests in the country, over the US and Italian arrest of the two Iranians, Iranian media reported.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani are leading diplomatic efforts, supported by Italy’s External Intelligence and Security Agency (AISE), Italian news outlets reported.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially kept Sala’s arrest confidential, aiming for a quiet resolution, the newspaper reported. Her detention has again highlighted Iran’s use of foreign detainees as leverage in international negotiations.

'Hostage-taking'

The International Federation of Journalists called for Sala’s immediate release, with secretary-general Anthony Bellanger condemning Tehran’s tactics as political leverage.

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi echoed the criticism, describing Sala’s detention as hostage-taking and extortion and warning that such practices would persist without stronger Western policies.

Prior to her detention, Sala had reported on contentious topics in Iran, including widespread defiance of mandatory hijab laws and the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian.

As diplomatic talks continue, the case highlights broader tensions over Iran’s exploitation of detainees for political gains, a practice condemned by rights groups and Western nations.

“In recent months, the surge in both the number and variety of major challenges has intensified, pushing the situation beyond mere concern. Issues that were previously warned about as future risks have now become reality, exposing their full impact and severity,” Massoud Nili, professor of economics in Tehran, warned on social media.

Thousands of social media posts and numerous media reports from Tehran reflect a growing sense of decline and instability gripping the country. Multiple economic crises, including severe energy shortages and a rapidly depreciating currency, have converged with significant regional setbacks. Among these is the recent ousting of Bashar al-Assad, a major blow to Tehran’s regional standing. After investing tens of billions of dollars to sustain Assad’s rule, the Islamist opposition seized the capital, Damascus, in a matter of days, underscoring the fragility of Iran’s regional influence.

Ali Rabiei, the president's social affairs advisor, has highlighted the pressing issue of "social fatigue" in a recent op-ed published by the newspaper Shargh. In his analysis, Rabiei examined the current challenges facing the country and criticized the approach taken by the government's opponents. He urged Masoud Pezeshkian to prioritize addressing this growing societal concern, emphasizing its critical role in shaping the nation’s future.

“Iran's society is grappling with profound exhaustion, with younger generations showing signs of rebellion against the status quo. Addressing this widespread social fatigue demands a comprehensive effort to rebuild the nation’s social fabric. While foreign investment may not be immediately necessary for this endeavor, it is undeniable that prolonged sanctions have significantly contributed to the prevailing sense of despair, leaving deep social and political scars,” Rabiei wrote.

The most visible symbol of the current crisis, apart from shortages of electricity, is the rapid decline of the rial. The Iranian currency stands at a historic low against major currencies, with the US dollar trading well-above 810,000 rials on Saturday. The battered currency has lost one-third of its value since early September, when Israeli attacks weakened Tehran’s main regional military arm, the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Islamic Republic's aging leader, Ali Khamenei, has been largely silent on the growing crises at home, focusing his public remarks on regional developments. On December 22, he denied that Tehran has regional proxies, while at the same time threatening Syria's new government with impending instability.

A Reformist figure, Ataollah Mohajerani, warned the government of the continuing influence of the military in politics in an article published on Saturday, drawing a parallel with India and Pakistan, arguing that Iran risks becoming another state where the armed forces dictate policy. He then urged President Pezeshkian and other officials to pay attention to people’s demands.

“The government must pay attention to the people, seeing them clearly and hearing their voices. Ignoring their concerns risks a day when the public responds with a forceful, bitter, and unmistakable message.”

“The powerful Armed Forces of Iran, with full strength and complete readiness, are always prepared to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any threat,” said the General Staff of the Armed Forces in a statement on Saturday.

The recent overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dealt a significant blow to Iran's influence in the Middle East.

As a key ally and conduit for Iranian support to groups like Hezbollah, Assad's government was central to Iran's proxies. His fall disrupts these alliances and supply routes, diminishing Iran's regional leverage.