Historical Background: Iran’s Regime (Government)
Before 1979, Iran was ruled by a monarchy under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The Shah led a modernization campaign that promoted Western-style reforms, expanded women’s education, and limited the political role of religious authorities. However, his rule was also criticized for authoritarianism, political repression, and economic inequality.
By the late 1970s, dissatisfaction with the public had grown among various groups, including religious leaders, leftist activists, students, and working-class citizens. In 1979, a nationwide revolution overthrew the monarchy. The Shah left the country, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The new system combined elected institutions with powerful religious leadership. The Supreme Leader, a cleric, was given ultimate authority over the military and key state institutions.
Life Under the Islamic Republic:
Since 1979, Iran has enforced laws based on its interpretations of Islamic governance. These include mandatory hijab laws for women, restrictions on certain forms of public expression, and limitations on political dissent. Human rights organizations and international observers have documented cases of political imprisonment, censorship, and harsh punishment for opposition figures.
One example frequently referenced by Iranians is Evin Prison in Tehran, which has held political prisoners for decades.
Many Iranians, both inside the country and outside, describe feeling that freedoms related to speech, assembly, and personal lifestyle are limited under the current system. At the same time, the government maintains support among segments of the population who view it as protecting sovereignty and resisting foreign influence.
Many Iranians oppose the current government and support protests calling for reform or regime change. Protests have intensified in recent months, and economic instability, inflation, and currency decline.
An Iranian student living abroad, whose family fled Iran in the 1980s, described the regime as deeply repressive and said many who fled the country hope for political change but disagree on what that change should look like.
One debate centers on Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah, who lives in exile. Some Iranians support him as a potential figure or a symbolic leader. Others argue that restoring the monarchy would repeat past divisions or increase foreign influence in Iranian politics.
These disagreements show that opposition to the current government does not automatically mean agreement on the future
Recent Activities in Iran:
In early January 2026, nationwide anti-government protests in Iran, initially sparked by economic hardship, evolved into one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic’s leadership in decades. Security forces responded with a forceful crackdown that human rights groups and international observers have reported involved hundreds to thousands of deaths among protesters, including young civilians, and mass arrests. Independent verification has been hindered by internet shutdowns and restrictions on journalists, but eyewitness accounts and coverage by major news outlets indicate that many of those killed were unarmed demonstrators, including teenagers and students demanding political and economic change.
Critics of the crackdown argue that the violence inflicted on predominantly young protesters, many of whom were calling for greater freedoms and rights, and this does not reflect the principles of the Islamic faith as understood by many scholars and believers, but rather represents actions taken by the state’s security under the impression of maintaining political power. This distinction highlights that the ideology of a governing regime is not the same as the religion its name invokes, and the use of religious terminology by a government can sometimes lead to misconceptions about the beliefs of ordinary people who practice the faith versus the politics of those in power.
Tensions Escalate: U.S. and Israel Strike Iran
Tehran, Iran, February – March 2026
A major military escalation in the Middle East erupted at the end of February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against multiple targets in Iran, including locations in and around the capital, Tehran. The attack triggered explosions and plumes of smoke visible across the city, prompting widespread alarm and reactions from governments across the region and beyond. The U.S. and Israel. The conflict intensified this week after a reported missile strike hit a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, killing at least 153 people, mostly children, at an all-girls’ elementary school. The Iranian Red Crescent reports that at least 201 people have been killed and 747 injured in air strikes across Iran since Saturday.
Iran has blamed both the United States and Israel for the school strike. The United States military’s Central Command stated it is reviewing reports of the incident and emphasized that civilian protection is a priority. Israel’s military said it was “not aware” of any operations in that specific area after having the most advanced military technology in the world. This action has left families in severe pain and grief.
On 28 February 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces carried out attacks on Iran that were described by officials as combat operations against multiple locations across the country. Explosions were heard in Tehran and other urban areas.
In response, Iran fired missiles and drones toward Israel and the U.S. military positions in the region. Explosive debris and missile fragments were reported falling in neighboring areas such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, injuring civilians there. Iran is targeting U.S. military bases and U.S. targets in the region due to the attack on their country being based in these foreign military bases across the Middle East. The interception of the missiles has caused some damage to these neighboring countries, but Iran argues that Article 51 of the UN Charter permits it under international law.
As a result of the strikes and counter-strikes, several nations have closed or restricted airspace, significantly disrupting regional and international flights. At least eight countries, including Iran and Israel, have restricted air travel amid the escalation.
Important data from ongoing reporting include hundreds of deaths in Iran and dozens elsewhere, including Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. military assets.
The United States and Israeli military strikes succeeded in killing the leader of Iran, Ali Hosseini Khameneii, after his 36 years of reign.
Why is this happening?
According to reports, the attacks come after years of rising tensions between Iran and both the United States and Israel. These tensions have focused largely on disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile development, and wider regional influence. Israel has claimed that Iran will develop these deadly weapons “in the next months, or even weeks” for more than ten years now. The strikes follow rounds of negotiated talks earlier in 2026, efforts aimed at addressing Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, which ultimately did not prevent military confrontation when diplomatic talks stalled.
Responses and Reactions
Iran’s government described the U.S. and Israeli strikes as a violation of international law and warned of further retaliation. A senior Iranian official stated that American and Israeli assets in the Middle East are now “legitimate targets.”
Several regional and international actors have called for restraint, warning that continued escalation risks wider instability. Voices from countries such as Oman and the European Union urged all sides to avoid further violence and to pursue diplomacy.
What This Means Regionally
The conflict has widened beyond the immediate U.S., Israel, and Iran dynamic. Iran’s retaliation has included missile attacks that have affected not just Israel but also nations hosting U.S. troops and infrastructure, such as the Gulf Arab Countries. This has brought other governments into a complicated and dangerous environment where multiple nations are dealing with the spill-over effects of the crisis.