Middle East & Africa | A brittle victory

A year after Iran was shaken by protests, zealots have tightened their grip

But dissidents await their next opportunity, unbowed

A woman, without head covering, at the Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran, Iran. — Image: Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine

Sep 7th 2023

Iran’s ayatollahs should, by rights, be triumphant. Their bully-boys have muzzled the cries of “woman, life, freedom” that reverberated around the country a year ago after a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody for showing her hair. They have purged universities of critics, silenced disapproving media outlets and rounded up activists along with their family and friends. A new bill going through parliament will revive the morality police (who were disbanded in the wake of the protests) and introduce new punishments for those who violate their dress codes. The regime is cutting deals with friends and foes alike to help it tighten its political and financial grip. Oil exports are back to levels not seen since the Trump administration reimposed sanctions in 2018. And yet, unlike during previous crackdowns, the mullahs still sound nervous. “They know the genie is out of the bottle,” says a teacher in Tehran.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A brittle victory”