While the world’s attention has shifted from the June 2025 Iran–Israel escalation to a fragile ceasefire, the most urgent struggle is still unfolding inside Iran — in the streets, classrooms, and communities where ordinary Iranians are fighting for their basic freedoms.
Since August 2024, Iran’s government has executed more than 1,350 people, including women, youth, and members of ethnic minorities, according to Amnesty International. In the wake of the ceasefire, more than 700 people have been arrested, political prisoners have been relocated to undisclosed locations, and special courts have been established to fast-track convictions — chilling reminders of the events that preceded the 1988 political prisoner massacre.
For 45 years, Tehran has ruled through executions, torture, censorship, and assassinations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — the regime’s military and ideological enforcer — also exports violence through proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Yet some governments, including members of the European Union, have still not designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Some outside commentators suggest a return to monarchy under the son of the deposed Shah, but Iranian protesters have made their position clear: “Down with the oppressor — be it Shah or Supreme Leader.” Today, more than 3,600 grassroots “resistance units” across nearly every province — many led by young people — are calling for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic built on pluralism and equal rights.
WomenNC Founder and Board of Directors President, Beth Dehghan, has been actively advocating for these human rights at the North Carolina General Assembly and is helping organize a September 23, 2025 rally in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to draw global attention to the ongoing crisis.
The courage of Iranian youth — particularly young women — mirrors the determination we see in our own Scholars here in North Carolina. Both are proof that the fight for gender equity and freedom is global, interconnected, and unstoppable. At WomenNC, we remain committed to amplifying their voices and ensuring their stories are heard in every space we can reach.
