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An Iranian man walks past campaign posters for the parliamentary election in Tehran, Iran, February 27, 2024.

Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iranian election turnout could set new record low

Iranians will go to the polls on March 1 to vote for a new parliament, which will serve for a four-year term. They will also vote for members of the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics that is tasked with selecting a new Supreme Leader and serves a six-year term. However, given that the Islamic regime now carefully manages election outcomes to protect its grip on power, voter participation is expected to plumb new record lows. We asked Eurasia Group analyst Greg Brew to explain the significance of this week’s polls.

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Demonstrators display images of Mahsa Amini, who died in policy custody in Tehran in Sept. 2022.

Reuters

Viewpoint: Iran braces for anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death

This Saturday marks one year since Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of Iran’s morality police sparked months of protests, and the authorities are taking steps to prevent another massive outbreak of unrest. They have preemptively arrested women’s rights activists, closed public spaces, and bolstered security forces in major cities. Yet public discontent continues to simmer in the Islamic Republic as ordinary people perceive a widening gulf between their hopes and concerns and the interests of the country’s clerical regime.

We asked Eurasia Group expert Gregory Brew if he thinks the authorities will be able to keep a lid on tensions in the coming days.

Do you expect Iranians to take to the streets this weekend?

Anniversaries are important in Iran, particularly those marking the passing of major political figures. The death of the 22-year-old Amini became hugely important for millions of Iranians, both in Iran and among the Iranian global diaspora, so there are bound to be demonstrations to mark the anniversary. They’re unlikely to be very large, however. The regime has been taking steps to deter new protests. Ordinary Iranians are reluctant to take to the streets since the crackdown last year, which saw security forces killing hundreds of protestors while wounding and arresting thousands more. Several high-profile trials and executions of arrested protestors hammered home the repressive message. The legacy of that crackdown will deter people from coming out in large numbers. But there’s sure to be some fireworks, both on 16 September and in subsequent days.

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Iranian women walk down a street with their hair exposed despite the revival of the morality police in Tehran, Iran.

Reuters/Majid Asgaripour/WANA

Iran unveils law targeting hijab-free celebrities

Two weeks after announcing the return of its infamous “morality police,” Tehran is reviewing harsh new legislation to enforce the “modest dress” of both female and male Iranians – particularly famous ones.

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Luisa Vieira

Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble

It’s impossible to predict when and where a wildfire will begin, but it’s easy to know when the ground is dry. In today’s Iran, the ground is ominously dry.

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A general view as North Korea fired two missiles from a submarine at an underwater target at an undisclosed location in North Korea March 12, 2023.

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via REUTERS

Hard Numbers: North Korea goes ballistic about “puppets”, Iran pardons protesters, Lula sacks soldiers, Freddy ravages Southern Africa

2: In response to new military drills by “the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces,” North Korea on Monday announced it had tested two new cruise missiles, which it says it plans to fit with nuclear warheads.

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Women rising up against Iran's regime: journalist and activist Masih Alinejad
Women Rising Up Against Iran’s Regime: Journalist and Activist Masih Alinejad | GZERO World

Women rising up against Iran's regime: journalist and activist Masih Alinejad

Iran is facing the biggest uprising Iran since the so-called "Green Movement" in 2009.

The rallying cry began after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died after being beaten by cops for not wearing her headscarf properly. Since then, more than 14,000 people have been arrested, at least 326 killed, and one executed.

On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, a sworn enemy of the Supreme Leader; it's widely believed that Iranian spies have tried to kidnap and assassinate her in New York.

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Iranian activists want the West to stop legitimizing Iran's regime
Iranian Activist to the West: No Nuclear Deal, Just Isolate Regime and Let Us Oust It | GZERO World

Iranian activists want the West to stop legitimizing Iran's regime

French President Emmanuel Macron recently got flak for shaking the hand of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi. In part to smooth things over, Macron agreed to meet with dissidents — including journalist and activist Masih Alinejad.

Her message to him and the West in general? Recall your ambassadors from Iran and don't return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

"The only thing can make [the regime] survive [is] the US government and its allies to get back to the deal," Alinejad tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

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Iran's people vs. hardline rulers
Ian Explains: Iranian People vs. Their Rulers | GZERO World

Iran's people vs. hardline rulers

Woman. Life. Freedom.

Those three words have filled the streets of Iran since the women-led protests agains the regime erupted last September.

The rallying cry began after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died after being beaten by cops for not wearing her headscarf properly.

Since then, more than 14,000 people have been arrested, at least 326 killed, and one executed. It's the biggest uprising Iran has seen since the so-called "Green Movement" in 2009, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.

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