# The Free Iran Scholars Network > We ( شبکه دانش پژوهان ایران آزاد ), support the Iranian people's uprising for freedom and promote a pluralistic, secular, democratic, prosperous and republic Iran. As a network of scholars, we aim to foster scholarship, integrity, objectivity, a strong knowledge base, and critical thinking as essential components in social and political discourse. ## Posts - [FISN Congratulates Jafar Panahi on Cannes Victory and Honors His Stand for Freedom](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-congratulates-jafar-panahi-on-cannes-victory-and-honors-his-stand-for-freedom/): The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) proudly congratulates Jafar Panahi on receiving the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his courageous and brilliant film It Was Just an Accident. His artistry and unyielding moral clarity have once again given voice to a silenced nation. Panahi’s words resonate far beyond the cinematic stage:“How can I rejoice? How can I be free while in Iran, there are still so many of the greatest directors and actresses of Iranian cinema, who, because they participated in and supported the demonstrators during the Femme Liberté movement, are today prevented from working?” In […] - [Iran’s Power Crisis: A Failure of Governance, Not Resources](https://freeiransn.com/irans-power-crisis-a-failure-of-governance-not-resources/): By: Prof. Matthew Tasooji, Professor, CSUSM, California. Though I now live in the United States, my connection to Iran remains deeply personal. Watching from afar as power outages become a daily struggle for so many is both heartbreaking and infuriating. These aren’t just technical issues—they’re the symptoms of a deeper crisis rooted in governance and priorities.  While power outages have long plagued daily life in Iran, the recent intensification—sometimes occurring multiple times a day and lasting for hours—has taken a profound toll on both the livelihoods of ordinary Iranians and the broader economy. Small business owners, unable to operate without […] - [Iran’s Power Crisis: A Failure of Governance, Not Resources](https://freeiransn.com/irans-power-crisis-a-failure-of-governance-not-resources-2/): Prof. Matthew Tasooji, Professor, CSUSM, California. Though I now live in the United States, my connection to Iran remains deeply personal. Watching from afar as power outages become a daily struggle for so many is both heartbreaking and infuriating. These aren’t just technical issues—they’re the symptoms of a deeper crisis rooted in governance and priorities.  While power outages have long plagued daily life in Iran, the recent intensification—sometimes occurring multiple times a day and lasting for hours—has taken a profound toll on both the livelihoods of ordinary Iranians and the broader economy. Small business owners, unable to operate without a […] - [FISN Congratulates Jafar Panahi on Cannes Victory and Honors His Stand for Freedom](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-congratulates-jafar-panahi-on-cannes-victory-and-honors-his-stand-for-freedom/): The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) proudly congratulates Jafar Panahi on receiving the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his courageous and brilliant film It Was Just an Accident. His artistry and unyielding moral clarity have once again given voice to a silenced nation. Panahi’s words resonate far beyond the cinematic stage:“How can I rejoice? How can I be free while in Iran, there are still so many of the greatest directors and actresses of Iranian cinema, who, because they participated in and supported the demonstrators during the Femme Liberté movement, are today prevented from working?” In […] - [Happy Nowrooz!](https://freeiransn.com/happy-nowrooz/): Dear Iranian Scholars, profesionals, Educators, and Students, As the beauty of spring unfolds, we celebrate Nowrooz—a time of renewal, hope, and resilience. This ancient festival reminds us that just as nature awakens with new life, so too can nations and societies embrace transformation. At Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), we stand as the voice of Iran’s academic and scientific community in their unwavering desire for a free, democratic, and secular republic. We believe in the power of knowledge, the strength of independent thought, and the necessity of academic freedom as a cornerstone of a just society. May this Nowrooz inspire […] - [150 Years of the Iranian People’s Struggle for Freedom: Triumphs and Setbacks](https://freeiransn.com/150-years-of-the-iranian-peoples-struggle-for-freedom-triumphs-and-setbacks/): The Iranian people’s fight for freedom, justice, and democracy has spanned over a century and a half, marked by revolutions, uprisings, and setbacks. While each movement has faced fierce suppression, the quest for a secular, democratic Iran has remained unbroken. The question is not if Iran will be free, but when.Below is a historical outline of key moments—both successes and failures—in this enduring struggle: Read more - [150 Years of the Iranian People’s Struggle for Freedom: Triumphs and Setbacks](https://freeiransn.com/150-years-of-the-iranian-peoples-struggle-for-freedom-triumphs-and-setbacks-2/): The Iranian people’s fight for freedom, justice, and democracy has spanned over a century and a half, marked by revolutions, uprisings, and setbacks. While each movement has faced fierce suppression, the quest for a secular, democratic Iran has remained unbroken. Below is a historical outline of key moments—both successes and failures—in this enduring struggle: 1. Amir Kabir’s Reforms and Assassination (1848-1852) – The First Attempt at Modernization 2. The Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) – The First Fight for Democracy 3. Reza Shah’s Rule (1921-1941) – Corruption and Authoritarian Modernization 4. Mossadegh and the Oil Nationalization Movement (1951-1953) – A Stolen Victory […] - [اولین آیشمن ایران در دامگه حادثه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%84%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%a2%db%8c%d8%b4%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%85%da%af%d9%87-%d8%ad%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%ab%d9%87/): شاید بیربط نباشد که «عالیجناب پرویز ثابتی» را بعنوان اولین آیشمن و رئیس «اس-اس» ایران در دوران پهلوی دانست. او به خاطر آخرین شغل و منصب خاصی که در این دوره بعنوان مقام ارشد امنیتی در ساواک شاه داشت و کارنامه سیاه و خونینی که در مقابله با جریانات مختلف اپوزیسیون ایران در دهه آخر حکومت، قبل از «سقوط ۵۷» داشت نامش همواره مترادف با خشونت و فردی مخوف بود بیاد دارم وقتی در سال ۱۳۵۴ در حالیکه ۱۷ سال بیشتر سن نداشتم و دانشجوی سال اول دانشگاه بودم و هیچ گرایش و تجربه سیاسی هم نداشتم، میتوانستم فضای ترس و هراس غریبی […] - [Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) Open Letter on Tehran University Student Protests](https://freeiransn.com/free-iran-scholars-network-fisn-open-letter-on-tehran-university-student-protests/): February 15, 2025 To the Academic Community and the International Public, The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) stands in unwavering solidarity with the fearless students of Tehran University, who have once again risen against the tyranny of the Iranian regime. The tragic murder of Amir Mohammad Khaleghi is not an isolated crime—it is a symptom of a corrupt, failing system that has turned Iran into a land of oppression, insecurity, and injustice. The regime has not only failed to protect its own youth but actively suppresses them when they dare to demand justice. Faced with this reality, the students of […] - [Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) Open Letter on Tehran University Student Protests](https://freeiransn.com/free-iran-scholars-network-fisn-open-letter-on-tehran-university-student-protests/): February 15, 2025 To the Academic Community and the International Public, The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) stands in unwavering solidarity with the fearless students of Tehran University, who have once again risen against the tyranny of the Iranian regime. The tragic murder of Amir Mohammad Khaleghi is not an isolated crime—it is a symptom of a corrupt, failing system that has turned Iran into a land of oppression, insecurity, and injustice. The regime has not only failed to protect its own youth but actively suppresses them when they dare to demand justice. Faced with this reality, the students of […] - [Opinion: Bold vision for U.S. policy and peace in the Middle East](https://freeiransn.com/opinion-bold-vision-for-u-s-policy-and-peace-in-the-middle-east/): Opinion (published in Hartford Courant) by Prof. Kazem Kazerounian With the recent ongoing conflicts between Israel and Iran, Middle East is facing major regional conflict, humanitarian crises, and a long overdue peace. Amidst this complex landscape, the United States stands at a crossroads, with its policies and engagements scrutinized under the global microscope. This moment in history calls for more than the usual diplomacy; it demands a reimagined approach, a bold vision that transcends traditional boundaries and paves the way for sustainable peace. Such a vision requires the United States to redefine its engagement in the Middle East. Through innovative […] - [Opinion: Bold vision for U.S. policy and peace in the Middle East](https://freeiransn.com/opinion-bold-vision-for-u-s-policy-and-peace-in-the-middle-east/): by Kazem Kazerounian, Dean and Professor Hartford Courant, June 23, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. With the recent ongoing conflicts between Israel and Iran, Middle East is facing major regional conflict, humanitarian crises, and a long overdue peace. Amidst this complex landscape, the United States stands at a crossroads, with its policies and engagements scrutinized under the global microscope. This moment in history calls for more than the usual diplomacy; it demands a reimagined approach, a bold vision that transcends traditional boundaries and paves the way for sustainable peace. Such a vision requires the United States to redefine its engagement in […] - [Professors to Biden: Critical Shift on Iran Policy Needed for Regional Stability](https://freeiransn.com/professors-to-biden-critical-shift-on-iran-policy-needed-for-regional-stability/): In a demonstration of unity and purpose, hundreds of esteemed professors from universities across the United States have extended their 2022-2023 initiative, emphatically urging President Joe Biden to address the critical importance of formulating the correct policy towards Iran. .  - [Open Letter of Hundreds of US University Professors to President Biden](https://freeiransn.com/open-letter-of-hundreds-of-us-university-professors-to-president-biden/): 4/4/2024 The Honorable Joseph Biden President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Biden, As academicians, we write to express our profound concern about the ongoing violence in the Middle East since the tragic events of October 7th. This date marked a significant escalation in the regional conflict, underscoring the urgency to address the root causes of instability: the oppressive Iranian regime. This regime has a decades long history of employing domestic and regional violence to maintain its hegemony, and to spread its venomous ideology. The Iranian mullahs are the hydra headed monsters of […] - [FISN Letter to Council on Foreign Relations protesting their decision to invite Ebrahim Raisi to a panel discussion](https://freeiransn.com/test/): September 14, 2023 Mr. Michael FromanPresidentCouncil on Foreign Relation58 East 68th StreetNew York, NY 10065 CC: Mr. David M. Rubenstein (CFR Chairman)  Dear Mr. Froman, This letter is on behalf of the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), a collective of academics and experts who support the Iranian people’s uprising for freedom and promote global unity among scholars, academicians, and professionals to establish a pluralistic, secular, democratic, prosperous and republic Iran. We express our profound dismay and disappointment regarding the Council on Foreign Relations’ recent decision to extend an invitation to Ebrahim Raisi of Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in […] - [Leonardo da Vinci’s Visualization of Gravity as a Form of Acceleration](https://freeiransn.com/leonardo-da-vincis-visualization-of-gravity-as-a-form-of-acceleration/): Leonardo da Vinci’s Visualization of Gravity as a Form of Acceleration Morteza Gharib, Educator (bio), Chris Roh, Educator (bio), and Flavio Noca, Educator (bio) ABSTRACT Despite limited tools, Leonardo da Vinci displayed ingenious problem-solving. The authors examine a combination of Leonardo’s thought and physical experiments regarding the acceleration of falling objects. Leonardo recorded that if a water-pouring vase moves transversally (sideways), mimicking the trajectory of a vertically falling object, it generates a right (as in orthogonal) triangle with equal leg length, composed of falling material lining up diagonally (forming the hypotenuse) and the vase trajectory forming one of the legs. On the hypotenuse, Leonardo wrote “Equatione di Moti,” […] - [Shifting Sands and Making Waves: A perspective on a thaw between Iran and Saudi Arabia](https://freeiransn.com/shifting-sands-and-making-waves-a-perspective-on-a-thaw-between-iran-and-saudi-arabia/): Nader Rahimi The recent news of the re-establishment of a diplomatic tie between Saudi Arabia and Iran with the help of China stunned the White House. Saudi Arabia broke off the diplomatic tie with Iran in 2016 after the Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Iran in response to the beheading of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric. However, the Saudi’s relationship with Iran was already strained for years for a multitude of reasons, including the Iran-Iraq war, where Saudis, along with the Western powers, was a staunch supporter of the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Husain. Moreover, the decades of American […] - [Calling for International Investigation on the Serial Poisoning of Schoolgirls in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/calling-for-international-investigation-on-the-serial-poisoning-of-schoolgirls-in-iran/): March 8, 2023 United States – The Free Iran Scholars Network condemns the poisoning of students under the regime of Islamic Republic of Iran and calls for international intervention and investigation. Schools across 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces have been the target of poison gas attacks and the crisis continues to worsen. Hundreds of victims, primarily young women and girls, attending universities, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools have been targeted by these attacks across major cities. The attacks began in the city of Qom in November 2022 and so far the IRI has offered no explanation, meaningful investigation, or […] - [In memory and anniversary of Dr.  Mosadegh's  death in exile  (March 5th,1967)](https://freeiransn.com/mohammad-mosadegh/): ” به کسانی‌که وقتی پای مصالح عموم به میان می‌آید،از مصالح خصوصی و نظریات شخصی صرفنظر می‌کنند؛به کسانی‌ که در سیاست مملکت اهل سازش نیستند و تا آنجا که موفق شوند مردانه می‌ایستند و یکدندگی بخرج می‌دهند.به کسانی‌که در راه آزادی و استقلال ایران از همه چیز خود می‌گذرند این عکس ناقابل اهدا می‌شود.” احمد آباد ، آبان‌ماه 1341 دکتر محمد مصدق “To those who give up their own interests and personal opinions when it comes to public interests. To those who will not compromise Iran’s interests, and who stand bravely for Iran, at whatever cost, until they succeed. And […] - [1953 Tehran University pro-democracy movement](https://freeiransn.com/test1/): The Free Iran Scholars Network was formed in 2022 after a joint letter was sent to President Biden, which was widely covered by major media outlets such as CNN and others. The network was publicly announced on December 7, 2022, to coincide with Iran's Student Day, marking the anniversary of the 1953 pro-democracy movement at Tehran University. - [Operational Areas and Core Committees:](https://freeiransn.com/committees/): Seven operational areas are listed below.  Each area is managed by a Core Committee.   1.       Publicity & Advocacy    The Network actively monitors the situation in Iran and present timely briefings and lead advocacy campaigns for public awareness. These efforts are publicized through various outlets, public statements, and joint letters.  2.      Newsletters The Network will publish periodic (at least once every quarter) newsletters, which provides updates on the progress of current projects, include relevant news and articles about Iran, and feature expert answers to frequently asked questions.  3.      Research Projects One of the main activities […] - [The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN)](https://freeiransn.com/about/): شبکه دانش پژوهان ایران آزاد Mission The Free Iran Scholars Network supports the Iranian people’s uprising for freedom and promotes global unity among scholars, academicians, and professionals to establish a pluralistic, secular, democratic, prosperous and republic Iran.    Vision The Network seeks to foster critical thinking and intellectual inquiry into the dictatorships of the past and present and empower Iranians in their journey to democracy and freedom. As a secular and entirely self-governed entity by its participants, the Network is committed to diversity of thoughts, collective knowledge, and expertise in support of the uprising of the people of Iran for democratic […] - [Urgent Call to Action](https://freeiransn.com/hello-world/): Urgent Call to Action (Feb. 1st, 2023): The Free Iran Scholars Network Demands an End to Human Rights Violations Against Iranian University Students and Professors The Free Iran Scholars Network is deeply disturbed by the ongoing human rights violations against Iranian university students and professors. To protect the rights and well-being of the Iranian students and professors, we urgently call upon academic organizations and governments all over the world to take immediate and decisive action.   The recent arrest of at least 712 students and faculty members in Iran, with the actual number believed to be much higher, is a clear […] - [The Night Has Been Long, But Dawn Approaches: The Season of Liberation in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/the-night-has-been-long-but-dawn-approaches-the-season-of-liberation-in-iran/): Hossein Jahansouz, Ph.D. The night in Iran has been long, stretching across decades, layered with fear, poverty, and sorrow. It is a night that has tried to dim the voice of a nation, to suffocate her dreams, to convince her that endurance is the only destiny left. The ruling power has attempted to turn silence into habit, despair into identity. It has sought not only to imprison the body but to colonize the mind, convincing millions that there is no alternative to the darkness. Yet under every night, no matter how heavy, there is a horizon waiting its turn. Beneath […] - [ایدئولوژی یا سیاست؟](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%af%d8%a6%d9%88%d9%84%d9%88%da%98%db%8c-%db%8c%d8%a7-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%9f/): سطرهای یاغی / سطر۳ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا می‌پرسند چرا مجاهدین با آن مرد «راست» حرف زدند، یا با آن زن «چپ» نشستند۔ می‌گویند این خلاف خلوص است۔ :از بزرگ‌مردی آموختم انقلاب مدرسه‌ی خلوص نیست، میدان جنگ است۔ و در میدان جنگ، حقیقت در عمل زنده می‌ماند، نه در قفس نظریه۔ ایدئولوژی روح ماست و سیاست بازوی آن۔ روح بی‌عمل می‌میرد، عمل بی‌روح گم می‌شود۔ هر دو در ما می‌تپند۔ ایدئولوژی می‌گوید چرا باید برخاست، سیاست می‌گوید چگونه باید پیروز شد۔ ایدئولوژی روشنایی است و سیاست راه۔ یکی معنا می‌دهد، دیگری تحقق۔ و انقلابی راستین آن است که […] - [اعدام و بازماندگان: تجربه‌ای اگزیستنسیالیستی](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d8%b9%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%85-%d9%88-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af%da%af%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%ac%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%a7%da%af%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b3/): دکتر عزیز فولادوند، جامعه‌شناس و پژوهشگر مطالعات اسلامی مهر ۱۴۰۴ ماشین سرکوب تیوکراسی حاکم مدام بی جان می‌ ستاند۔ سیاست اعدام به شتابی هولناک رسیده است۔ آمارها از فاجعه‌ای تکان‌دهنده حکایت می‌کنند: تنها در سپتامبر ۲۰۲۵، دویست تن به دار آویخته شدند۔ این اعداد خشک و بی ‌روح نیستند، هر کدام آینه‌ی رنج یک خانواده و پژواک خاموشی یک زندگی‌اند۔اما اعدام تنها بریدن رشته‌ی حیات یک انسان نیست؛ رخدادی‌ست که در ذات خود می‌کوشد «زندگی» را خاموش کند۔ مرگ را به عنوان قانون می‌نشاند و می‌پندارد با کشتن می‌تواند آینده را مهار کند۔ غافل است از اینکه زندگی، هر دم […] - [Repression and Control: Iran’s War on Its Own Society](https://freeiransn.com/repression-and-control-irans-war-on-its-own-society/): Dr. Hossein Jahansouz The Islamic Republic governs like a warden. It does not merely write rules. It turns streets, schools, factories, and the internet into zones of inspection and punishment. Three pillars hold up this carceral order: digital surveillance, a coercive police, prosecutor, and court pipeline, and a death-penalty machine that signals power through fear. After 2022, the state scaled up cameras, license plate readers, facial recognition, drones, and tip-off apps to track unveiled women and anyone it brands deviant. These tools do more than police dress. They map movement, target livelihoods, and monitor speech. Businesses and citizens are pushed […] - [شیطان‌سازی: وقتی واژه انسان می‌کُشد](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%88%d9%82%d8%aa%db%8c-%d9%88%d8%a7%da%98%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%db%8c%da%a9%d9%8f%d8%b4%d8%af/): سطرهای یاغی | سطر۲| کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه ، آمریکا اینجا، سال‌هاست که گلوله و دار تنها نیستند؛ کلام هم قاتل است. ارتجاع فهمید برای حذف رقیب، باید به معنا سم زد و واژه را از حقیقت جدا کرد. از همان روزی که «مجاهد» را «منافق» کردند، این سم پخش شد. از آن روز، انسان در زبان هیولا شد. و بعد، سیل آمد۔ منافق. مزدور. جاسوس. ستون پنجم. مزدور صدام. مزدور عراق. مزدور آمریکا. مزدور اسرائیل. مزدور روسیه. مزدور انگلیس. جیره‌خور عربستان. عامل بیگانه. فرقه‌ای. مغزشویی‌شده. مغزشوی. ذهن‌باخته. فریب‌خورده. محارب. تروریست. ضد انقلاب. مرتد. خائن به وطن. خائن به اسلام. […] - [The Mirage of an “Unholy Solidarity”: Reza Pahlavi, María Corina Machado, and the Misreading of Democratic Struggle](https://freeiransn.com/the-mirage-of-an-unholy-solidarity-reza-pahlavi-maria-corina-machado-and-the-misreading-of-democratic-struggle/): By Dr. Sofey Saidi Scholar of International Relations & Latin American Politics When Venezuela’s opposition leader and recent Nobel laureate María Corina Machado appeared alongside Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former monarch, she may have intended to show solidarity between nations struggling under dictatorship. Instead, she revealed the danger of confusing resistance with restoration. This raised a deeper question: is this a convergence of exiles, or a confusion of principles? A month before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado remotely addressed an Iran-focused conference organized by groups sympathetic to Reza Pahlavi and his circle. Her brief remarks were framed […] - [From Iran To Gaza, When Executions Become Governance](https://freeiransn.com/from-iran-to-gaza-when-executions-become-governance/): Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst In Gaza, even after the signing of a peace accord, executions continue in public view. In Iran, the machinery of death operates methodically and relentlessly. The link between these practices is not coincidence but intent. The death penalty, when used by dictators, is not about justice. It is about terror, domination, and the preservation of power. Recent reports have confirmed that Hamas executed several men accused of collaborating with Israel. According to The Telegraph, blindfolded prisoners were brought forward, accused, and shot in public as a warning to others. […] - [Iran’s Water Crisis- A Factual Analysis of Recent Developments and the Role of the Iranian Regime](https://freeiransn.com/irans-water-crisis-a-factual-analysis-of-recent-developments-and-the-role-of-the-iranian-regime/): An FISN Research Report  by Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University August 21, 2025 Iran, a nation historically admired for its ingenious water management systems—most famously the ancient qanat, subterranean aqueducts that sustained civilisations for thousands of years[1]—is today facing one of the gravest environmental and social emergencies in its modern history. As of August 2025, the country is contending with unprecedented water shortages, dangerously depleted reservoirs, and sweeping rationing measures, particularly in major urban centers such as Tehran[2]. Although environmental pressures, including a prolonged five-year drought[3] and record-breaking heatwaves[4], have intensified the strain, the depth and severity of the […] - [Beyond the Forced Hejab: Iran’s War for Freedom](https://freeiransn.com/beyond-the-forced-hejab-irans-war-for-freedom/): Kazem Kazerounian, Professor, University of Connecticut The old fear no longer rules Iran’s streets. In Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad, women walk unveiled. Calm, fearless, faces uncovered. They are not simply removing a scarf. They are tearing down the wall of fear. For more than four decades, the regime has tried to rule every breath of Iranian life. How people dress. How they speak. Even how they think. The forced hejab became its symbol of obedience, its daily ritual of submission. But today that same symbol has turned against it. The forced hejab has become the banner of defiance. They killed […] - [فراتر از حجاب اجباری: نبرد ایران برای آزادی](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%ad%d8%ac%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c-%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%af-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%a2%d8%b2/): سطرهای یاغی | سطر ۱ | کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا دیگر آن ترس قدیمی در خیابان‌ها نیست. در تهران، اصفهان، مشهد… زنان بی‌حجاب راه می‌روند، آرام، بی‌پروا، با چهره‌هایی روشن. آنها فقط روسری را کنار نگذاشته‌اند. دیوار ترس را فرو ریخته‌اند. چهل و چند سال است حکومت می‌خواهد بر نفس مردم فرمان براند؛ بر لباس، بر نگاه، بر ذهن. حجاب اجباری را نشانه ایمان کرد، نشانه اطاعت. اما امروز، نشانه نافرمانی است مهسا (ژینا) امینی را کشتند تا قانون بماند. اما همان قتل، قانون را شکست. شعار «زن، زندگی، آزادی» از خیابان‌ها برخاست، اما امروز به «زن، مقاومت، آزادی» […] - [The Mirage of Online Monarchy: How AI-Generated Propaganda Strengthens Tehran’s Narrative](https://freeiransn.com/the-mirage-of-online-monarchy-how-ai-generated-propaganda-strengthens-tehrans-narrative/): Hossein Saiedian, Ph.D.,Kazem Kazerounian, Ph.D. The October 3, 2025, investigative report by the Israeli daily Haaretz revealed that Israel had indirectly funded a Persian-language online network promoting Reza Pahlavi and the restoration of monarchy, an initiative that swiftly turned into a propaganda windfall for the clerical regime in Tehran. Iran’s state-run media immediately seized upon the story, portraying it as proof that foreign powers were manipulating Iran’s political narrative. The regime used it to suggest that any opposition to the Islamic Republic was tied to an Israeli-orchestrated “royalist project.” This narrative aimed to discredit the organized democratic opposition, by falsely […] - [From 1982 to Today: Bearing Witness to Iran’s Women and the Resistance](https://freeiransn.com/from-1982-to-today-bearing-witness-to-irans-women-and-the-resistance/): Dr. Sofey Saidi (PhD International Relations), Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations Reflecting on “Women Often Martyrs in Fight Against Khomeini” (1982–2024) When I first wrote this article in 1982 for my university’s newspaper, I was a young student compelled to document the extraordinary sacrifices of Iranian women. The women who defied tyranny under both the Shah and Khomeini. Iran was then only three years removed from the revolution, but the dream of freedom had already been suffocated in prisons, executions, and enforced silence. What struck me then—and still resonates today—was that repression in Iran was not new. The […] - [The Snapback Verdict: The Iranian Regime Sacrificed Diplomacy, Economic Recovery, and its People to Cling to Power](https://freeiransn.com/the-snapback-verdict-the-iranian-regime-sacrificed-diplomacy-economic-recovery-and-its-people-to-cling-to-power/): Hossein Saiedian, Ph.D., ProfessorThe University of Kansas Background: The JCPOA and the Road to Isolation The reactivation of United Nations sanctions on Iran; known as the “snapback” mechanism, marks a decisive defeat for the Iranian regime. It is not merely a diplomatic setback; it is the culmination of years of strategic misjudgment, ideological rigidity, and a relentless prioritization of regime survival over national interest. The snapback was not inevitable. It was foreseeable, preventable, and avoidable; had Tehran chosen reform over repression, regional peace over terrorism, diplomacy over defiance, and the people over power. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), […] - [Snapback Sanctions on Iran: A Turning Point Toward Democratic Change](https://freeiransn.com/snapback-sanctions-on-iran-a-turning-point-toward-democratic-change/): Dr. Sofey Saidi (PhD International Relations), Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations Last week marked a watershed moment in international politics: the formal reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran under the 2231 “snapback” mechanism. This action, far from being a simple policy adjustment, represents a decisive break from years of accommodation with Tehran’s clerical regime. It signals the end of an era of appeasement and the beginning of a new chapter in which accountability, pressure, and solidarity with the Iranian people take center stage. Why Snapback Sanctions Matter The snapback of sanctions is not symbolic—it has material consequences. […] - [Pathways to A Free Iran: Academic Voices on Change and Accountability](https://freeiransn.com/pathways-to-a-free-iran-academic-voices-on-change-and-accountability/): On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) held its first external panel, “Pathways to a Free Iran,” The event brought together six distinguished professors and scientists to share their expertise on issues of change, accountability, and the future of Iran. In this panel, the academic and professional capacities of Iranian experts were formally highlighted as resources for shaping a democratic and sustainable future for the country. Over the past 60 days, FISN has published more than 30 research papers and over 30 opinion articles, and this momentum will continue with upcoming panels in October (virtual), November […] - [Sport Under the Shadow of Ideology: A Multidimensional Analysis of Youth Inclination Toward Sport in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/sport-under-the-shadow-of-ideology-a-multidimensional-analysis-of-youth-inclination-toward-sport-in-iran/): Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, SwedenBahram Mavadat*, Psychologist, Germany * Bahram Mavadat was the goalkeeper of the Iranian national football (soccer) team in the 1970s and a member of Tehran’s popular Persepolis Football Club. He is currently a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Abstract. In authoritarian and oppressive societies, sport is not merely a physical activity or competition but becomes a field for expressing protest, resistance, and individual and social identity. The religious fascist regime of the mullahs, with an ideological and security-oriented perspective, has employed sport to serve propaganda purposes, cultural control, and the reproduction of monopolistic […] - [Pathways to A Free Iran: Academic Voices on Change and Accountability](https://freeiransn.com/academic-voices-change-accountability-iran/): Join distinguished academics for an in-depth conversation on the future of Iran, exploring the role of a democratic alternative and the international community’s responsibility in supporting the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy. TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 2:00 PM Mid-Town Manhattan (The exact location will be shared upon registration.) To register email: info@freeiransn.com - [Execution in Iran: A Political-Psychological Tool, Consequences of Collective Trauma, and the Role of Resistance](https://freeiransn.com/execution-in-iran-a-political-psychological-tool-consequences-of-collective-trauma-and-the-role-of-resistance/): Dr. Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden Introduction Execution, as the most severe form of criminal punishment, in Iran is not merely a judicial tool but a display of state power. It is not solely a legal or penal act but a social-psychological phenomenon with functions extending beyond the elimination of an individual from society. In contemporary Iranian history, particularly in the 1980s, executions became a systematic tool for engineering collective fear, political discipline, and consolidating ideological dominance. The dictatorial monarchical regime and the criminal clerical regime, by employing demonization techniques, portrayed political opponents not as social actors but as “saboteurs,” “terrorists,” “Islamic-Marxists,” […] - [FISN Analysis of Snapback and Iran’s Nuclear Crisis: Beyond War and Appeasement](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-analysis-of-snapback-and-irans-nuclear-crisis-beyond-war-and-appeasement/): Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Executive Summary The activation of the United Nations “snapback” mechanism under Security Council Resolution 2231 represents a pivotal moment in the long struggle to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. For more than two decades, Western governments have pursued negotiation and concession, hoping that engagement would moderate Tehran’s behavior. The outcome is clear: Iran is closer than ever to nuclear weapons capability, emboldened in its repression at home and aggression abroad. This briefing analyzes why appeasement […] - [Why Monarchy Cannot be Revived in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/why-monarchy-cannot-be-revived-in-iran/): By: Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Published in CT Examiner, Sep 1st, 2026 For communities here in Connecticut, where many Iranian-Americans live and work, the struggle for democracy in Iran is never far away. Families here carry the memory of loved ones lost under both the Shah and the clerics. They understand better than most that Iran’s fight for freedom and democratic rights is tied to global stability and to the values we hold dear in America. What happens in Iran matters not just for Iranians, but for all who care about human rights […] - [Open Letter to Global Leaders and Parliament Speakers](https://freeiransn.com/open-letter-to-global-leaders-and-parliament-speakers/): FISN Editorial Board: This open letter, signed by former world leaders, ministers, ambassadors, international jurists, and lawmakers from across the globe, expresses deep concern that Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah, announced on June 29, 2025, a scheme to recruit members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) through a so-called “secure communication channel.” The letter also references the July 2, 2025 article published by the Free Iran Scholars Network, titled “Reza Pahlavi: An Alternative or an Obstacle to Change,” which examined the implications of this troubling initiative. Free Iran […] - [Expelling the Iranian Ambassador from Australia: Historical Lessons and International Relations Implications](https://freeiransn.com/expelling-the-iranian-ambassador-from-australia-historical-lessons-and-international-relations-implications/): Dr. Sofey Saidi (PhD International Relations), Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations Introduction The expulsion of Iran’s ambassador from Australia represents more than a bilateral dispute; it underscores the role of diplomatic expulsions as symbolic acts in international relations. Such actions signal disapproval, reaffirm international norms, and place pressure on states engaged in repression, violations of human rights, or destabilizing regional behavior (Butt, 2024). Australia’s decision resonates in a global context where democratic states are grappling with how to respond to Iran’s policies of suppression, nuclear ambitions, and transnational influence (Duncombe, 2019). This analysis situates the expulsion within the […] - [Reza Pahlavi at USC Casden Institute: An Insult to the Iranian People](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-at-usc-casden-institute-an-insult-to-the-iranian-people/): Press ReleaseFree Iran Scholars Network (FISN)September 1st, 2025 Contact: Info@FreeIranSN.com The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) strongly rejects the attempt to present Reza Pahlavi as a credible alternative to the Iranian regime during his scheduled remarks at the University of Southern California (USC) Casden Institute on September 16, 2025. It does not reflect the lived reality of Iranians inside the country. A Legacy of Failures  For over four decades in exile, Pahlavi has projected himself as a political figure. Yet he has consistently failed to build an organization, articulate a coherent program, or earn the trust of the Iranian people. […] - [نهاد سلطنت: ساختاری غیرعقلانی و تحقیرکنندۀ شأن انسان](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%ae%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c-%d8%ba%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c-%d9%88-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%82%db%8c%d8%b1%da%a9%d9%86%d9%86%d8%af%db%80-%d8%b4%d8%a3%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%86/): عزیز فولادوند،  ژولای ۲۰۲۵ (تیر ۱۴۰۴) این مقاله به بررسی انتقادی سلطنت به مثابه نظامی سیاسی-اجتماعی می‌پردازد که بر مبنای وراثت، تبار و امتیاز بنا شده و از منظر فلسفی و اخلاقی، با اصول عقلانیت، برابری و کرامت انسانی در تعارض است. با بهره‌گیری از آرای متفکرانی چون جان لاک، ژان‌ژاک روسو، کارل پوپر و دیگران، سلطنت نه صرفاً به عنوان شکلی از حکومت، بلکه به‌مثابه ساختاری فرهنگی و ایدئولوژیک تحلیل می‌شود که در پی بازتولید امتیازورزی، طرد اراده عمومی، و خنثی‌سازی سوژه‌ی انسانی است. سلطنت نه تنها فاقد مشروعیت عقلانی و مدنی است، بلکه با اصول بنیادین حقوق بشر، […] - [The Iranian Regime’s Cyber Army: AI, Propaganda, and the Struggle for Truth](https://freeiransn.com/the-iranian-regimes-cyber-army-ai-propaganda-and-the-struggle-for-truth/): Dr. Ela Zabihi, University Lecturer in London, UK 1        Introduction Disinformation has become one of the most pressing global security challenges of the twenty-first century. Authoritarian regimes, in particular, have embraced the power of digital technologies to distort reality, suppress dissent, and manipulate domestic and international opinion. Among these regimes, the Iranian regime has stood out for its coordinated, large-scale deployment of what many analysts call a “cyber army.” This network of state-linked accounts, troll farms, and digital operatives operates across major social platforms, actively spreading propaganda narratives, harassing opposition groups, and attempting to influence global discourse. Recent advances in […] - [Iran’s Water and Electricity Crisis: A Regime-Made Catastrophe with Far-Reaching Consequences](https://freeiransn.com/irans-water-and-electricity-crisis-a-regime-made-catastrophe-with-far-reaching-consequences/): Dr. Ali Bagheri. Senior Research Engineer, Belgium Overview and Context Iran faces a severe water and electricity crisis. Power outages are no longer occasional disruptions. They have become a persistent reality for millions of people. The impacts are economic, social, and psychological. Officials often blame sanctions, external pressures, or climate change. Those factors matter. They are not the main cause. Decades of corruption and mismanagement created this crisis. Investment in essential infrastructure has stagnated. Budgets favor politically connected projects. Grid maintenance lags behind demand growth. Rural and low income communities carry the heaviest burden. Independent researchers and parliamentary assessments warn […] - [The Betrayal of Truth: GAMAAN Polling Under Dictatorship in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/the-betrayal-of-truth-gamaan-polling-under-dictatorship-in-iran/): Professor Hossein Saiedian, The University of KansasProfessor Kazem Kazerounian, The University of Connecticut Abstract. This article examines the use of political polling in authoritarian regimes, focusing on Iran and the recent surveys of the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN). While GAMAAN presents its work as “scientific” and “representative,” its online snowball sampling fails to meet the standards of statistical rigor or ethical neutrality. Under repression and surveillance, genuine political preferences cannot be measured. What emerges is not public opinion but the architecture of fear. This is the second critique of GAMAAN. Our earlier response to its […] - [Echoes of the 1980s: A Warning From a Former Political Prisoner](https://freeiransn.com/echoes-of-the-1980s-a-warning-from-a-former-political-prisoner/): Shirin Nariman is a former political prisoner in Iran during the 1980s and a former director at Freddie Mac. As a former political prisoner in Iran, I witnessed horrors that remain etched into my memory, nightly executions, the shouts of tortured inmates, and the constant fear that any moment could be your last. I survived the blood-soaked decade of the 1980s, only to later learn that during the summer of 1988, thousands of my fellow political prisoners including members of my own family and closest friends were systematically murdered in one of the darkest crimes of the 20th century. Sadly, […] - [Testimony of Surviving Political Prisoners from “Black Saturday of Ghazal Hesar”](https://freeiransn.com/testimony-of-surviving-political-prisoners-from-black-saturday-of-ghazal-hesar/): Note: Introduction is by the FISN editorial team. On July 26 and 27, 2025, Ghazal Hesar Prison in Iran became the scene of one of the most brutal crackdowns on political prisoners in recent memory. Known among survivors as “Black Saturday,” those two days marked the final hours and execution of two prominent political prisoners, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, both supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI). The following are two unfiltered testimonies from inside the prison, written by men who lived through the raids, the beatings, and the shock of losing their cellmates. The first account […] - [The Footsteps of Fascism in the Guise of Democracy: An Analysis of Reza Pahlavi’s Discourse and the Role of Genuine Secular-Democratic Forces](https://freeiransn.com/the-footsteps-of-fascism-in-the-guise-of-democracy-an-analysis-of-reza-pahlavis-discourse-and-the-role-of-genuine-secular-democratic-forces/): Dr. Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden Abstract. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s theory of modern totalitarianism, Freud and Jung’s concept of the father complex, and Lacan’s idea of the return of the repressed, this article examines the latent authoritarian potential in Reza Pahlavi’s political discourse. It argues that, despite a liberal vocabulary and democratic slogans, his language reproduces features of soft fascism. Only genuinely organized, secular, and democratic forces with transparent public programs and institutional safeguards can block the risk of authoritarian restoration during Iran’s transition. Keywords: Soft fascism; Reza Pahlavi; father complex; return of the repressed; Arendt; Iranian politics; democratic transition […] - [گزینهٔ سوم مریم رجوی برای ایران: همسویی با پارادایم‌های روابط بین‌الملل](https://freeiransn.com/%da%af%d8%b2%db%8c%d9%86%d9%87%d9%94-%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%85-%d9%85%d8%b1%db%8c%d9%85-%d8%b1%d8%ac%d9%88%db%8c-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%87%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%88%db%8c%db%8c/): دکتر صوفی سعیدی، روابط بین‌الملل، مدرسهٔ دیپلماسی و روابط بین‌الملل ژنو چکیده. خانم مریم رجوی، رئیس‌جمهور برگزیدهٔ شورای ملی مقاومت ایران، راهبردی با عنوان «گزینهٔ سوم» برای ایران مطرح کرده است. این راهبرد هم مداخلهٔ نظامی خارجی و هم سیاست مماشات با حکومت را رد می‌کند و به‌ جای آن بر تغییر دموکراتیک به رهبری مردم ایران تأکید دارد. این مقاله، «گزینهٔ سوم» را با بهره‌گیری از چهار نظریهٔ اصلی روابط بین‌الملل، یعنی رئالیسم، لیبرالیسم، سازه‌انگاری و نظریهٔ صلح دموکراتیک بررسی می‌کند. تحلیل نشان می‌دهد که دیدگاه رجوی، اصول این نظریه‌ها را در قالب رویکردی یکپارچه ترکیب کرده و الگویی […] - [Maryam Rajavi’s “Third Option” for Iran: A Theoretical Alignment with International Relations Paradigms](https://freeiransn.com/maryam-rajavis-third-option-for-iran-a-theoretical-alignment-with-international-relations-paradigms/): Dr. Sofey Saidi, International Relations, Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations Abstract. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), proposes a “Third Option” for Iran. This strategy rejects both foreign military intervention and appeasement of the ruling theocracy, calling instead for democratic change led by the Iranian people. This article examines the “Third Option” through four key international relations theories: realism, liberalism, constructivism, and democratic peace theory. It argues that Rajavi’s vision blends elements from these paradigms into an integrated approach to regime change in authoritarian contexts. The analysis suggests that her framework offers […] - [Steel Without Strength: Corruption and Decline in Iran’s Steel Industry](https://freeiransn.com/steel-without-strength-corruption-and-decline-in-irans-steel-industry/): Dr. Hossein Jahansouz, Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades   Abstract. Iran’s steel sector, anchored by Mobarakeh Steel Company (MSC), is a cautionary tale of systemic corruption, politicized governance, and energy mismanagement. This paper integrates parliamentary investigations [1][2], investigative journalism [3], trade data [4][5], and academic analyses [6][7], with updated industry data and market context. It details how procurement fraud, IRGC patronage, and misallocation of resources crippled this strategic industry. The consequences span Iran’s economy, labor force, and foreign trade. The paper concludes with reforms to restore integrity, efficiency, and […] - [The Political Theology of Kingship: From the Son of Ra to the Supreme Jurist](https://freeiransn.com/the-political-theology-of-kingship-from-the-son-of-ra-to-the-supreme-jurist-2/): March 11, 2022 (Esfand 20, 1400) — Germany Dr. Aziz Fooladvand Sociologist and Scholar of Islamic Studies Translation from Farsi version: https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%db%8c-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%b7%d9%86%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d9%be%d8%b3%d8%b1%d9%90-%d8%b1%d9%8e%d8%b9-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d9%88%d9%84%db%8c-%d9%81%d9%82/ Divine Origins: The Creed of the Ancient Kings “I am Darius… King of Kings… the representative of Ahura Mazda.”“By the will of Ahura Mazda, I am king. Ahura Mazda bestowed kingship upon me.”“Ahura Mazda granted me this kingship. Ahura Mazda aided me in gaining it.”“All that I have done, I have done by the will of Ahura Mazda.”Darius the Great says: “Whatever happened, it was all by the will of Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda aided me in all […] - [We buried them without a grave. Now more Iranians are disappearing](https://freeiransn.com/we-buried-them-without-a-grave-now-more-iranians-are-disappearing/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Published in CT Mirror, August 7, 2025 Here in Connecticut, many of us in the Iranian-American community carry a pain that never really goes away. Some of us lost parents. Others lost siblings. I lost my childhood friend. She was only in her 20s and pregnant when she was executed in an Iranian prison. Her crime? Believing in a free Iran. This isn’t ancient history. It was 1988. That summer, more than 30,000 political prisoners were killed across Iran. Most were young. Many were already serving time. The […] - [New Article Exposes Authoritarian Blueprint Behind Reza Pahlavi’s Transition Plan for Iran](https://freeiransn.com/new-article-exposes-authoritarian-blueprint-behind-reza-pahlavis-transition-plan-for-iran/): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dr. Majid RafizadehEmail: dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu Or: Free Iran Scholars Network Email: Info@FreeIranSN.com Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. August 9, 2025 – Harvard, MA : In a powerful new article published this week, Harvard-educated political scientist Dr. Majid Rafizadeh reveals the deeply authoritarian foundations of Reza Pahlavi’s recently announced plan for Iran’s future. Titled “Reza Pahlavi’s Platform – A Roadmap to Neo-fascist Rule,” the article provides a detailed analysis of Pahlavi’s August 1 policy platform and warns that it […] - [برنامه رضا پهلوی — نقشه مسیر برای حاکمیت نئوفاشیستی](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a8%d8%b1%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%87-%d8%b1%d8%b6%d8%a7-%d9%be%d9%87%d9%84%d9%88%db%8c-%d9%86%d9%82%d8%b4%d9%87-%d9%85%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%b1-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%ad%d8%a7%da%a9%d9%85/): دکتر مجید رفیع‌زاده، دانش‌آموخته علوم سیاسی از هاروارد و دارای دکترای حکومت و امور بین‌الملل است اول اوت دو هزار و بیست و پنج میلادی در تاریخ اول اوت دو هزار و بیست و پنج میلادی، رضا پهلوی در شبکه اجتماعی ایکس اعلام کرد که تحت نظارت او، گروهی از کارشناسان طرحی را برای آینده ایران تهیه کرده‌اند. او در همان پست، پیوندی به این برنامه که در وب‌سایت نوفدی، ارگان تبلیغاتی او منتشر شده بود، قرار داد. کوتاه‌ترین توصیف ممکن از این برنامه این است که یک نقشه مسیر جامع برای ایجاد یک دیکتاتوری با ماهیت نئوفاشیستی در ایران […] - [Reza Pahlavis Plattform — Ein Fahrplan zur neofaschistischen Herrschaft](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavis-plattform-ein-fahrplan-zur-neofaschistischen-herrschaft/): Von Dr. Majid Rafizadeh*, Politikwissenschaftler mit Harvard-Ausbildung und Mitglied im Beirat der Harvard International Review, der Fachzeitschrift des International Relations Council. August 2025 Am 1. August 2025 veröffentlichte Reza Pahlavi auf X einen Beitrag, in dem er erklärte, dass unter seiner Aufsicht Experten seinen Plan für die Zukunft des Iran entworfen hätten. Im selben Beitrag fügte er einen Link zu dem Programm hinzu, das auf der Website von NUFDI, seinem Propagandainstrument, veröffentlicht wurde. Die kürzeste mögliche Beschreibung dieses Programms lautet: Es ist ein umfassender Fahrplan zur Errichtung einer mit Neofaschismus durchsetzten Diktatur im Iran. Nachfolgend einige der wichtigsten Bestimmungen: Kernpunkte […] - [La plateforme de Reza Pahlavi — Feuille de route vers un régime néo-fasciste](https://freeiransn.com/la-plateforme-de-reza-pahlavi-feuille-de-route-vers-un-regime-neo-fasciste/): Veuillez partager dans vos réseaux !Par Dr Majid Rafizadeh, mai 2025 Le Dr Majid Rafizadeh est un politologue diplômé de Harvard. Il est titulaire d’un doctorat en gouvernement et affaires internationales, d’un master en politique globale, d’un master en journalisme et d’un master en linguistique. Il détient également une licence en traduction avec spécialisation en anglais, arabe et persan. Le Dr Rafizadeh parle couramment l’arabe, l’anglais et le persan. Il siège au conseil consultatif du Harvard International Review, une publication du Harvard International Relations Council à l’Université Harvard. Il est joignable à l’adresse dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu. Un partisan embrasse le sol devant […] - [Het platform van Reza Pahlavi; Een routekaart naar neofascistische heerschappij](https://freeiransn.com/het-platform-van-reza-pahlavi-een-routekaart-naar-neofascistische-heerschappij/): Het platform van Reza Pahlavi; Een routekaart naar neofascistische heerschappij Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is politicoloog en alumnus van Harvard University. Hij behaalde een doctoraat in Politiek en Internationale Betrekkingen, een master in Wereldpolitiek, een master in Journalistiek en een master in Taalkunde. Daarnaast heeft hij een bachelor in Vertalen, met een specialisatie in Engels, Arabisch en Perzisch. Dr. Rafizadeh spreekt vloeiend Arabisch, Engels en Perzisch. Hij is lid van de adviesraad van de Harvard International Review, een uitgave van de Harvard International Relations Council van Harvard University. Hij is bereikbaar via: dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu. Op 1 augustus 2025 publiceerde Reza Pahlavi op […] - [El Plan de Reza Pahlavi — Hoja de Ruta hacia un Régimen Neo-fascista](https://freeiransn.com/el-plan-de-reza-pahlavi-hoja-de-ruta-hacia-un-regimen-neo-fascista/): Por Dr. Majid Rafizadeh — Agosto de 2025 El Dr. Majid Rafizadeh es politólogo formado en Harvard y exalumno de dicha universidad. Posee un doctorado en Gobierno y Relaciones Internacionales, así como másteres en Política Global, Periodismo y Lingüística, y una licenciatura en Traducción (inglés, árabe y persa). Habla con fluidez árabe, inglés y persa, y es miembro del consejo asesor de la Harvard International Review, publicación del Harvard International Relations Council. Contacto: dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu Un seguidor besa el suelo ante Reza Pahlavi, evocando imágenes de devoción ciega y culto a la personalidad en torno a sus ambiciones políticas. El 1 […] - [مشروع رضا بهلوي— خارطة طريق نحو استبداد جديد](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b9-%d8%b1%d8%b6%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d9%87%d9%84%d9%88%d9%8a-%d8%ae%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%82-%d9%86%d8%ad%d9%88-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a8%d8%af/): يرجى مشاركتها مع شبكتك!بقلم الدكتور  مجید رفیع زاده، أغسطس 2025 النُسخة الإنجليزية الدكتور  مجید رفیع زاده هو عالم سياسي  خریج من جامعة هارفارد وأحد خريجيها السابقين. حاصل على درجة الدكتوراه في الحكومة والعلاقات الدولية، وماجستير في السياسة العالمية، وماجستير في الصحافة، وماجستير في علم اللغة. كما حصل على درجة البكالوريوس في الترجمة مع تركيز على اللغة الإنجليزية والعربية والفارسية. الدكتور رفيزاده يتقن العربية والإنجليزية والفارسية بطلاقة. وهو عضو في المجلس الاستشاري لمجلة Harvard International Review، الصادرة عن Harvard International Relations Council في جامعة هارفارد. يمكن التواصل معه عبر: dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu. أحد الموالين يقبّل الأرض أمام رضا بهلوي، في مشهد يثير صور […] - [La Piattaforma di Reza Pahlavi — Una Tabella di Marcia verso un Regime Neo-fascista](https://freeiransn.com/la-piattaforma-di-reza-pahlavi-una-tabella-di-marcia-verso-un-regime-neo-fascista/): Dr. Majid Rafizadeh , Agosto 2025 La versione inglese Il Dr. Majid Rafizadeh è un politologo con formazione a Harvard e suo ex studente. È titolare di un Dottorato in Governo e Relazioni Internazionali, un Master in Politica Globale, un Master in Giornalismo e un Master in Linguistica. Ha inoltre conseguito una Laurea in Traduzione con specializzazione in inglese, arabo e persiano. Il Dr. Rafizadeh parla correntemente arabo, inglese e persiano. Fa parte del comitato consultivo della Harvard International Review, pubblicazione del Harvard International Relations Council presso l’Università di Harvard. Può essere contattato all’indirizzo: dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu. Un seguace bacia il suolo […] - [Reza Pahlavi’s Platform — A Roadmap to Neo-fascist Rule](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavis-platform-a-roadmap-to-neo-fascist-rule/): By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, Harvard-educated political scientist and Advisory Boarrd Member of Harvard International Review, a International Relations Council publication. August 2025 Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. On August 1, 2025, Reza Pahlavi posted on X announcing that, under his supervision, experts had drafted his plan for Iran’s future. In the same post, he included a link to the program published on the website of NUFDI, his propaganda outlet. The shortest possible description of this program is that it is a […] - [Which Is Deadlier to Iran: Climate or Corruption?](https://freeiransn.com/which-is-deadlier-to-iran-climate-or-corruption/): An FISN Research Report  by Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States. Drought, floods, and extreme weather have had devastating effects on Iran, forcing people to move internally, affecting one of the world’s largest populations of displaced people, and likely propelling emigration. More than 11 million people in Iran were affected by […] - [Iran’s Hostage Statecraft](https://freeiransn.com/irans-hostage-statecraft/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., California State University San Marcos — Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs Abstract Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has used hostage-taking as a tool of statecraft. It detains dual nationals and foreign citizens on dubious or fabricated charges. Tehran has developed a long-term strategy of exchanging these individuals for political and financial gain. This paper traces the historical trajectory of Iran’s hostage diplomacy, documents key prisoner swaps, and argues that such tactics undermine Western national security interests. It also encourages further abductions. Recent remarks by senior Iranian officials […] - [Night Doctors: Heroes of Iran’s Underground Resistance](https://freeiransn.com/night-doctors-heroes-of-irans-underground-resistance/): Firouz Daneshgari, MD, MBA, FRCS, FPMRS During the 2023–2024 nationwide uprising in Iran, one of the movement’s most tragic and heroic figures was Dr. Aida Rostami, a 36-year-old physician. Her body was discovered showing signs of brutal torture. One of her eyes was gouged out, and half of her face was crushed. Her crime was upholding her Hippocratic oath. Dr. Rostami was murdered simply for providing medical care to wounded anti-regime protesters. In December 2023, while tending to injured demonstrators in Tehran’s Ekbatan district, she left a protester’s home to obtain supplies and never returned. She was arrested and ultimately […] - [Night Doctors: Heroes of Iran’s Underground Resistance](https://freeiransn.com/night-doctors-heroes-of-irans-underground-resistance-2/): Firouz Daneshgari, MD, MBA, FRCS, FPMRS During the 2023–2024 nationwide uprising in Iran, one of the movement’s most tragic and heroic figures was Dr. Aida Rostami, a 36-year-old physician. Her body was discovered showing signs of brutal torture. One of her eyes was gouged out, and half of her face was crushed. Her crime was upholding her Hippocratic oath. Dr. Rostami was murdered simply for providing medical care to wounded anti-regime protesters. In December 2023, while tending to injured demonstrators in Tehran’s Ekbatan district, she left a protester’s home to obtain supplies and never returned. She was arrested and ultimately […] - [الهیات سیاسی سلطنت از پسرِ رَع تا ولی فقیه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%db%8c-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%b7%d9%86%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d9%be%d8%b3%d8%b1%d9%90-%d8%b1%d9%8e%d8%b9-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d9%88%d9%84%db%8c-%d9%81%d9%82/): دکتر عزیز فولادوند “بخواست اهورا مزدا من شاه هستم. اهورا مزدا، شاهی را به من عطا فرمود”. “اهورا مزدا این شاهی را بمن بخشید. اهورا مزدا، مرا یاری کرد تا این شاهی را بدست آوردم”. آنچه من کردم، همه بخواست اهورا مزدا کردم” […] داریوش شاه می گوید: “آنچه شد، همه را به خواست اهورامزدا کردم. اهورامزدا مرا یاری کرد تا هنگامی که کار را کردم. اهورامزدا من و خاندان شاهی ام را و این کشور را از زیان دور بدارد.” نیاکان ما در دوران کهن جهان را چنین می دیدند. کتیبه ها از روزگاران کهن گزارش می دهند. شاید […] - [Fueling Failure: How the IRGC Hijacked Iran’s Energy Sector](https://freeiransn.com/fueling-failure-how-the-irgc-hijacked-irans-energy-sector/): By Hossain Jahansouz, Ph.D., Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades Abstract. Iran’s vast reserves of oil and natural gas once positioned it as a cornerstone of the global energy economy. Yet beneath government rhetoric about export growth and energy independence lies a sector plagued by decay, environmental destruction, corruption, and militarized control. Drawing on multiple sources, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace [1], Middle East Institute [2], Iran Focus [3], and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) [4], this article examines how political gain and elite profit have […] - [A Homeland for Some: Refugees and Minorities in Iran’s Apartheid State](https://freeiransn.com/a-homeland-for-some-refugees-and-minorities-in-irans-apartheid-state/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analys Published in Hartford Courant (7/28/2025) While global headlines fixate on Iran’s nuclear program or its regional power plays, another crisis rages just beneath the surface, the systematic oppression of Afghan refugees and ethnic minorities within Iran. In recent months alone, more than one million Afghans have been forcibly deported according to Associate Press Report on July 15, 2025. Millions more remain in limbo, undocumented, exploited, and living under constant threat. Their treatment is not an administrative oversight. It is a strategy of dehumanization. Alongside them, Iran’s own ethnic minorities, […] - [A Homeland for Some: Refugees and Minorities in Iran’s Apartheid State](https://freeiransn.com/a-homeland-for-some-refugees-and-minorities-in-irans-apartheid-state-2/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Published in Hartford Courant (7/28/2025) While global headlines fixate on Iran’s nuclear program or its regional power plays, another crisis rages just beneath the surface, the systematic oppression of Afghan refugees and ethnic minorities within Iran. In recent months alone, more than one million Afghans have been forcibly deported according to Associate Press Report on July 15, 2025. Millions more remain in limbo, undocumented, exploited, and living under constant threat. Their treatment is not an administrative oversight. It is a strategy of dehumanization. Alongside them, Iran’s own ethnic […] - [Religion in Iran: Critics Don’t Get It, MEK Does](https://freeiransn.com/critics-dont-get-iran-the-mek-does/): Credible global surveys by Pew and the World Values Survey show that Iranians, despite broad rejection of religious and fundementalist dictatorship, remain among the most deeply religious populations in the world. The path to a secular, democratic Iran must begin from within this reality. It cannot succeed by rejecting it. Such change is most credible when led by a Muslim force that defends individual freedom and the separation of religion and state. Read the complete article - [Fueling Failure: How the IRGC Hijacked Iran’s Energy Sector](https://freeiransn.com/fueling-failure-how-the-irgc-hijacked-irans-energy-sector-2/): By Hossain Jahansouz, Ph.D., Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Abstract. Iran’s vast reserves of oil and natural gas once positioned it as a cornerstone of the global energy economy. Yet beneath government rhetoric about export growth and energy independence lies a sector plagued by decay, environmental destruction, corruption, and militarized control. Drawing on multiple sources, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace [1], Middle East Institute […] - [From Rally to Ruin: Diversionary Conflict and Regime Survival in the Islamic Republic of Iran](https://freeiransn.com/from-rally-to-ruin-diversionary-conflict-and-regime-survival-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/): An FISN Research Report by: By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., California State University San Marcos — Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs July 29, 2025 This article explores the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recurring use of diversionary conflict as a strategy for regime survival during periods of internal crisis. By analyzing the eight-year Iran–Iraq War under Ayatollah Khomeini and the more recent 12-Day War (2024), the article assesses whether such military engagements still function as sustainable instruments of regime legitimacy or whether they now accelerate internal decay. Drawing on the diversionary theory of war and recent economic data, the article […] - [Tiered Internet in Iran: Class-Based Access and State Repression in the Digital Realm](https://freeiransn.com/tiered-internet-in-iran-class-based-access-and-state-repression-in-the-digital-realm/): Dr. Hossein Saiedian, Professor Computer Science, The University of Kansas Definition of Tiered Internet and Importance of the Issue “Tiered Internet” in Iran refers to a system that stratifies internet access based on political and class-based criteria, such as proximity to power, social status, or institutional affiliation. Unlike the digital divide in many countries, which is primarily rooted in economic or geographical factors, in Iran, this phenomenon is predominantly political, creating a structural discrimination between regime affiliates and ordinary citizens. Government officials, their associates, and wealthy regime supporters enjoy high-speed, unfiltered internet and free access to global platforms like Twitter, […] - [HIV: A Global Pandemic and the Critical Role of Resources With a Focus on Iran](https://freeiransn.com/hiv-a-global-pandemic-and-the-critical-role-of-resources-with-a-focus-on-iran/): An FISN Research Repor By: Ashraf Zadshir, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor; Scholar and Researcher on HIV/Hepatitis; 2006 California Woman of the Year.  In Iran, HIV is a silent and growing emergency. It is driven not only by inadequate medical infrastructure but by systemic abuse, corruption, and political denial. Official estimates suggest about 70,000 people live with HIV in Iran. In reality, the number may be far higher due to stigma, poor surveillance, and underreporting. Read the complete report - [Massoud Rajavi’s July 22 (2025) Message: On the Ethics of Focus and the Discipline of Struggle](https://freeiransn.com/massoud-rajavis-july-22-2025-message-on-the-ethics-of-focus-and-the-discipline-of-struggle/): Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Scholar of Iranian Politics July 23, 2025 Massoud Rajavi’s latest message, issued on the anniversary of the founding of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, addresses the growing controversy surrounding Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s recent call for a constitutional referendum. Some voices in the broader resistance have reacted with harsh attacks. Rajavi’s message offers a different response. Without defending Mousavi’s past, and without speculating on his motives, Rajavi urges strategic restraint. The message is about discipline, focus, and keeping the resistance aimed at its true enemy. Read more … - [Massoud Rajavi’s July 22 (2025) Message: On the Ethics of Focus and the Discipline of Struggle](https://freeiransn.com/massoud-rajavis-july-22-2025-message-on-the-ethics-of-focus-and-the-discipline-of-struggle-2/): Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Scholar of Iranian Politics   July 23, 2025 Massoud Rajavi’s latest message, issued on the anniversary of the founding of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, addresses the growing controversy surrounding Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s recent call for a constitutional referendum. Some voices have reacted with harsh attacks. Rajavi’s message offers a different response. Without defending Mousavi’s past, and without speculating on his motives, Rajavi urges strategic restraint. The message is about discipline, focus, and keeping the resistance aimed at its true enemy. Rajavi refers to Mousavi, who, after fifteen years under house arrest, has called for the […] - [Aquifers Depletion and Land Subsidence in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/aquifers-depletion-and-land-subsidence-in-iran-2/): An FISN Research Report  by Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Groundwater is a major part of global water available to mankind, found underground between rocks or soil layers, and is being accessed through wells or natural springs. Climate, land use, local geology, and water quality all affect the availability of groundwater resources. Groundwater, which is in aquifers below the surface of the Earth, is one of the most important natural resources anywhere.  Although 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, less than 3% of it is fresh water. Pollutants in the world’s rivers, streams, and lakes render water undrinkable and harm local wildlife. Population growth has triggered overuse of fresh water, […] - [Aquifers Depletion and Land Subsidence in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/aquifers-depletion-and-land-subsidence-in-iran/): An FISN Research Report  by Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States. Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Groundwater is a major part of global water available to mankind, found underground […] - [Youth Culture in Iran: A Generation on the Move](https://freeiransn.com/youth-culture-in-iran-a-generation-on-the-move/): By Dr. Aziz Fooladvand, Sociologist and Scholar of Islamic Studies This is a translation of the original article in German. Iran’s younger generation is undergoing a radical transformation. This change is cultural, political, and social. Increasingly, it is turning its back on the authoritarian value system of the religious state and confidently forging its own path. In a country marked by repressive norms and a strict theocratic order, a youth is rising that seeks self-determination, freedom, and equality. This movement is not loud in the traditional sense. But it is brave, determined, and deeply transformative. Iranian youth, in the spirit of philosopher […] - [Jugendkultur im Iran: Eine Generation im Aufbruch](https://freeiransn.com/jugendkultur-im-iran-eine-generation-im-aufbruch/): Dr. Aziz Fooladvand. Soziologe und Islamwissenschaftler. Eine englische Übersetzung dieses Artikels wurde ebenfalls veröffentlicht. Die junge Generation im Iran befindet sich im radikalen Wandel – kulturell, politisch und gesellschaftlich. Sie kehrt dem autoritären Wertesystem des religiösen Staates zunehmend den Rücken und geht selbstbewusst neue Wege. In einem Land, das von repressiven Normen und einer strengen theokratischen Ordnung geprägt ist, erhebt sich eine Jugend, die nach Selbstbestimmung, Freiheit und Gleichheit strebt. Diese Bewegung ist nicht laut im klassischen Sinne, aber sie ist mutig, entschlossen und tiefgreifend. Die Jugendlichen im Iran sind – im Sinne des deutschen Philosophen Immanuel Kant – aufgeklärt: […] - [FISN Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General Honorable, António Guterres on Protecting Political Prisoners in Iran and Preventing a Repeat of the 1988 Massacre](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-open-letter-to-the-un-secretary-general-honorable-antonio-guterres-on-protecting-political-prisoners-in-iran-and-preventing-a-repeat-of-the-1988-massacre/): We write on behalf of the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), a coalition of academics and researchers committed to human rights, secular democracy, and the rule of law. We are writing to express our grave concern over the recent wave of repression against political prisoners in Iran. Prisoners are being removed without notice, denied communication, and relocated to undisclosed locations. These moves mirror tactics used in the lead-up to the 1988 massacre. They raise serious fears of covert executions or other forms of extrajudicial punishment. Read the complete letter here - [FISN Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General Honorable António Guterres](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-open-letter-to-the-un-secretary-general-honorable-antonio-guterres/): Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), July 20, 2025 To:  Honorable, António Guterres Secretary-General United Nations New York, NY 10017 Subject: Urgent Appeal to Protect Political Prisoners in Iran and Prevent a Repeat of the 1988 Massacre Your Excellency, We write on behalf of the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), a coalition of academics and researchers committed to human rights, secular democracy, and the rule of law. We are writing to express our grave concern over the recent wave of repression against political prisoners in Iran. Most alarming is the growing pattern of forced disappearances, secret transfers, and exile of prominent […] - [Jugendkultur im Iran: Eine Generation im Aufbruch](https://freeiransn.com/jugendkultur-im-iran-eine-generation-im-aufbruch-2/): Dr. Aziz Fooladvand. Soziologe und Islamwissenschaftler. Eine englische Übersetzung dieses Artikels wurde ebenfalls veröffentlicht. 20-07-2025 Die junge Generation im Iran befindet sich im radikalen Wandel – kulturell, politisch und gesellschaftlich. Sie kehrt dem autoritären Wertesystem des religiösen Staates zunehmend den Rücken und geht selbstbewusst neue Wege. In einem Land, das von repressiven Normen und einer strengen theokratischen Ordnung geprägt ist, erhebt sich eine Jugend, die nach Selbstbestimmung, Freiheit und Gleichheit strebt. Diese Bewegung ist nicht laut im klassischen Sinne, aber sie ist mutig, entschlossen und tiefgreifend. Die Jugendlichen im Iran sind – im Sinne des deutschen Philosophen Immanuel Kant – […] - [Significance of Invoking Snapback Mechanism on Iran](https://freeiransn.com/significance-of-invoking-snapback-mechanism-on-iran/): By: Dr. Sofey Saidi, PhD (International Relations), Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations July 20, 2025 The UK, France & Germany (the “E3”), along with the EU’s foreign policy head, have given Iran until the end of August to reach a verifiable nuclear deal. If not, they plan to invoke the snap‑back mechanism, automatically reinstating all UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 JCPOA. French FM Jean‑Noël Barrot has reiterated this deadline and emphasized that, absent concrete commitments from Iran, sanctions on arms, finance, and nuclear technology would roll back by late August  There has been much emphasis placed on […] - [Built to Exploit: The Drug Mafia and Iran’s Medicine Crisis](https://freeiransn.com/built-to-exploit-the-drug-mafia-and-irans-medicine-crisis/): By Hossain Jahansouz, Ph.D., Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades Iran was once recognized for its strong pharmaceutical industry and highly trained medical professionals. Today, it is facing a health crisis of massive proportions. From insulin and chemotherapy drugs to basic antibiotics, life-saving medicines are disappearing from pharmacy shelves. This is not just a crisis of supply. It is a crisis of corruption. Behind the shortages is a powerful network of profiteers. These actors—commonly referred to as the “drug mafia”—operate with impunity. Many are closely linked to regime elites and […] - [Built to Exploit: The Drug Mafia and Iran’s Medicine Crisis - A Free Iran Scholars Network Report](https://freeiransn.com/built-to-exploit-the-drug-mafia-and-irans-medicine-crisis-a-free-iran-scholars-network-report/): By Dr. Hossain Jahansouz, Ph.D., Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades 1.Introduction: A System in Collapse Iran was once recognized for its strong pharmaceutical industry and highly trained medical professionals. Today, it is facing a health crisis of massive proportions. From insulin and chemotherapy drugs to basic antibiotics, life-saving medicines are disappearing from pharmacy shelves. This is not just a crisis of supply. It is a crisis of corruption. Behind the shortages is a powerful network of profiteers. These actors—commonly referred to as the “drug mafia”—operate with impunity. Many are […] - [Impact of the 12-Day War on Iran’s Economy and Society - An FISN Research Project](https://freeiransn.com/impact-of-the-12-day-war-on-irans-economy-and-society-an-fisn-research-project/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., California State University San Marcos — Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs Iran’s brief June 2025 conflict with Israel inflicted severe economic and social shocks on an already fragile economy. Before the war, Iran’s economy was under deep stress from U.S. sanctions, oil export collapses, and mismanagement: inflation had exceeded 40–50% for years, the Rial currency was plunging, and unemployment and poverty were rampant. The war precipitated a dramatic loss of oil revenues (oil exports fell ~94%), vast military expenditure (hundreds of missiles launched), and widespread infrastructure damage. Read More - [Impact of the 12-Day War on Iran’s Economy and Society - An FISN Research Project](https://freeiransn.com/impact-of-the-12-day-war-on-irans-economy-and-society-an-fisn-research-project-2/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., California State University San Marcos — Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs Abstract Iran’s brief June 2025 conflict with Israel inflicted severe economic and social shocks on an already fragile economy. Before the war, Iran’s economy was under deep stress from U.S. sanctions, oil export collapses, and mismanagement: inflation had exceeded 40–50% for years, the Rial currency was plunging, and unemployment and poverty were rampant [1, 4]. The war precipitated a dramatic loss of oil revenues (oil exports fell ~94%), vast military expenditure (hundreds of missiles launched), and widespread infrastructure damage [10, 11]. […] - [Water Bankrupt Iran: What is the solution? (An FISN Project)](https://freeiransn.com/water-bankrupt-iran-what-is-the-solution-an-fisn-project/): Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Note:  This report is a follow-up to a first report: Contribution of the Iran’s “Water Mafia” in Water Bankruptcy Water scarcity is a significant issue in Iran, which is regarded as one of the driest countries in the world. The water crisis and successive droughts in Iran are fueling people’s frustration with the government. While part of this crisis is rooted in climate change, a huge part of this problem stems from the government’s inefficient policies and failure to address the country’s water shortages. This has caused unrest among Iranians, who blame the […] - [Behind the Crown: A Documented Critique of Reza Pahlavi’s Political Role](https://freeiransn.com/behind-the-crown-a-documented-critique-of-reza-pahlavis-political-role/): By: Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor, University of Connecticut & Dr. Hossein Saiedian, Professor University of Kansas This report offers a meticulously documented analysis of Reza Pahlavi’s political trajectory over the past four decades. The report entails a 1000-words executive summary and a 10,000-words detailed report. It argues that far from advancing democratic change in Iran, Pahlavi has repeatedly impeded meaningful resistance, whether by accident, incompetence, or design. Based on original Persian and English sources, including public interviews, leaked statements, diaspora testimonials, and regime-linked disclosures, the report reveals a consistent pattern: Reza Pahlavi has functioned less as a leader and more […] - [Behind the Crown: A Documented Critique of Reza Pahlavi’s Political Role](https://freeiransn.com/behind-the-crown-a-documented-critique-of-reza-pahlavis-political-role-2/): By: Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor, University of Connecticut & Dr. Hossein Saiedian, Professor University of Kansas A Free Iran Scholar’s Network Project – July 2025 Reader’s Guide: This Executive Summary distills the findings of a 10,000-word investigative report prepared by the Free Iran Scholars Network. The full report, presents a four-decade analysis of Pahlavi’s record using original Persian and English sources. Executive Summary This report offers a meticulously documented analysis of Reza Pahlavi’s political trajectory over the past four decades. It argues that far from advancing democratic change in Iran, Pahlavi has repeatedly impeded meaningful resistance, whether by accident, incompetence, […] - [How the IRGC’s Corruption and Monopolies Have Destroyed Iranian Industry](https://freeiransn.com/how-the-irgcs-corruption-and-monopolies-have-destroyed-iranian-industry/): By:  FISN Research Team Led by Dr. Hossein Jahansouz, Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades   Iran’s industrial decline is often attributed to international sanctions and geopolitical isolation. However, the root cause lies within: the militarized economic domination of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Over the past three decades, the IRGC has evolved into an expansive economic empire, controlling vast segments of Iran’s oil, gas, construction, telecommunications, mining, banking, and heavy industry sectors. This monopolistic structure—fueled by political favoritism, opaque no-bid contracts, and systematic exclusion of the private sector—has […] - [For Iranian Regime, War for Survival is Against Citizens at Home](https://freeiransn.com/for-iranian-regime-war-for-survival-is-against-citizens-at-home/): By: Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, Author, Scholar Practitioner, and Cybersecurity Executive From: Defense Opinion Homepage – Defense Opinion, July 8th, 2025 With a fragile ceasefire now holding between Iran and Israel following the June 2025 escalation, headlines have temporarily shifted away from the regional tension. Yet the most consequential struggle involving the Islamic Republic is not in the skies over the Middle East but in the streets of Iran itself and the Iranian people’s fight for liberty. Read more - [For Iranian Regime, War for Survival is Against Citizens at Home](https://freeiransn.com/for-iranian-regime-war-for-survival-is-against-citizens-at-home-2/): By: Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, Author, Scholar Practitioner, and Cybersecurity Executive From: Defense Opinion Homepage – Defense Opinion, July 8th, 2025 With a fragile ceasefire now holding between Iran and Israel following the June 2025 escalation, headlines have temporarily shifted away from the regional tension. Yet the most consequential struggle involving the Islamic Republic is not in the skies over the Middle East but in the streets of Iran itself and the Iranian people’s fight for liberty. Since August 2024, Iran’s regime has executed more than 1,350 people-many of them women, youths, and ethnic minorities, according to  Amnesty International.  Repression is not a glitch […] - [A State Without Mercy: Afghan Refugees and Ethnic Minorities Under Oppression in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/a-state-without-mercy-afghan-refugees-and-ethnic-minorities-under-oppression-in-iran/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst For over 45 years, the Iranian people have fought to achieve democracy, freedom, and liberation from the grip of tyranny—whether monarchical or theocratic. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last Shah, relying on the name and legacy of a former dictatorial regime, has presented himself as a leader of the Iranian people’s freedom-seeking struggles. Many of his current advisors are individuals with known connections to the current Iranian regime, which further discredits his claims. Farsi-language media, backed by the financial support of foreign governments whose interests conflict with […] - [A State Without Mercy: Afghan Refugees and Ethnic Minorities Under Oppression in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/a-state-without-mercy-afghan-refugees-and-ethnic-minorities-under-oppression-in-iran-2/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst While the world’s attention remains fixed on Iran’s nuclear brinkmanship and geopolitical theatrics, a far more urgent crisis unfolds in the shadows: the systemic persecution of Afghan refugees. Over 600,000 Afghans are being forcibly expelled from Iran in recent months, and millions more live in a state of fear—undocumented, exploited, and unwanted. Their treatment is not a bureaucratic failure but a deliberate strategy of dehumanization. Alongside them, Iran’s ethnic minorities—particularly the Baluch—endure parallel forms of institutionalized oppression. In their case, the brutality spans generations, reaching back to the […] - [Contribution of the Iran’s “Water Mafia” in Water Bankruptcy (An FISN Project)](https://freeiransn.com/contribution-of-the-irans-water-mafia-in-water-bankruptcy-an-fisn-project/): Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States. Water scarcity which is exacerbated by climate change is posing a serious threat to global “hotspots” with Iran among the most vulnerable. The depletion of water resources in Iran resulted from a complex interplay of factors, including mainly not scientific water policies, […] - [Contribution of the Iran’s “Water Mafia” in Water Bankruptcy](https://freeiransn.com/contribution-of-the-irans-water-mafia-in-water-bankruptcy/): Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States. Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Water scarcity which is exacerbated by climate change is posing a serious threat to global “hotspots” with Iran […] - [The Illusion of Hereditary Leadership: A Threat to the Iranian People’s Freedom Movement](https://freeiransn.com/the-illusion-of-hereditary-leadership-a-threat-to-the-iranian-peoples-freedom-movement/): By: Professor Hossein Saiedian For over 45 years, the Iranian people have fought to achieve democracy, freedom, and liberation from the grip of tyranny—whether monarchical or theocratic. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last Shah, relying on the name and legacy of a former dictatorial regime, has presented himself as a leader of the Iranian people’s freedom-seeking struggles. Many of his current advisors are individuals with known connections to the current Iranian regime, which further discredits his claims. Farsi-language media, backed by the financial support of foreign governments whose interests conflict with those of the Iranian people, shamelessly promote him […] - [Reza Pahlavi: Eine Alternative oder ein Hindernis für den Wandel](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-eine-alternative-oder-ein-hindernis-fur-den-wandel/): Dr. Khalil Khani, emeritierter Professor für Naturessourcen, Universität Teheran Die Lage im Iran befindet sich an einem kritischen Wendepunkt. Die Unzufriedenheit in der Bevölkerung und der Widerstand nehmen zu. Das Regime ist schwächer als je zuvor und sieht sich mit einer existenziellen Bedrohung seiner eigenen Existenz konfrontiert. Inmitten dieses Aufruhrs präsentiert sich Reza Pahlavi, der Sohn des gestürzten Schahs, als selbsternannter Anführer der Opposition. Die 37-jährige Herrschaft seines Vaters war geprägt von eiserner Faust, grassierender Korruption, weitverbreiteter Folter und zahlreichen Hinrichtungen. Read More - [L’Iran travolto dalla crisi : Valutazione del potenziale di cambiamento e Terza Opzione](https://freeiransn.com/liran-travolto-dalla-crisi-valutazione-del-potenziale-di-cambiamento-e-terza-opzione/): Dott. Ramesh Sepehrrad, autore, esperto accademico e dirigente della sicurezza informatica & Dott. Kazem Kazerounian, professore e studioso di politica iraniana Introduzione – La narrazione del regime e il rifiuto delle realtà imposte Sullo sfondo dell’attuale crisi iraniana, che ha ormai assunto dimensioni globali, il futuro dell’Iran e le prospettive di cambiamento sono diventati temi di urgente dibattito. In risposta all’incessante tentativo di acquisire armi nucleari da parte del regime, alla sua distruttiva ingerenza regionale e al suo sostegno al terrorismo, e, soprattutto, al suo atroce bilancio in materia di diritti umani, il dilemma politico è stato per anni inquadrato […] - [L’Iran travolto dalla crisi: Valutazione del potenziale di cambiamento e Terza Opzione](https://freeiransn.com/liran-travolto-dalla-crisi-valutazione-del-potenziale-di-cambiamento-e-terza-opzione-2/): Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, autore, esperto accademico e dirigente della sicurezza informatica & Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, professore e studioso di politica iraniana Introduzione – La narrazione del regime e il rifiuto delle realtà imposte Sullo sfondo dell’attuale crisi iraniana, che ha ormai assunto dimensioni globali, il futuro dell’Iran e le prospettive di cambiamento sono diventati temi di urgente dibattito. In risposta all’incessante tentativo di acquisire armi nucleari da parte del regime, alla sua distruttiva ingerenza regionale e al suo sostegno al terrorismo, e, soprattutto, al suo atroce bilancio in materia di diritti umani, il dilemma politico è stato per anni inquadrato […] - [Reza Pahlavi: An Alternative or an Obstacle to Change](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-an-alternative-or-an-obstacle-to-change/): Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Tehran University The situation in Iran is at a critical juncture. Popular discontent and resistance are on the rise. The regime is weaker than ever, facing an existential threat to its survival. Amid this turmoil, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, presents himself as the self-proclaimed leader of the opposition. His father’s 37-year rule was marked by an iron fist, rampant corruption, widespread torture, and executions. Read More - [Iran Engulfed in Crisis:  Assessing the Potential for Change and the Third Option](https://freeiransn.com/iran-engulfed-in-crisis-assessing-the-potential-for-change-and-the-third-option/): Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, Author, Scholar Practitioner, and Cybersecurity Executive & Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Scholar of Iranian Politics Against the backdrop of Iran’s current crisis—which has now assumed global dimensions—the future of Iran and the prospects for change have become topics of urgent debate. In response to the regime’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, its destructive regional meddling, sponsorship of terrorism, and, most importantly, it atrocious human rights record, the policy dilemma for years was framed as a binary choice: appeasement to induce behavioral change, or war. For over four decades, the prevailing policy was engagement with the regime, […] - [Crushed Minds, Broken System: Iran's Mental Health Crisis Under the Islamic Republic (An FISN Research Project)](https://freeiransn.com/crushed-minds-broken-system-irans-mental-health-crisis-under-the-islamic-republic-an-fisn-research-project/): By: Dr. Alborz Bahador, Clinical psychologist, Researcher and practitioner This article is the first in a series of scholarly investigations into the state of mental health and medical resources in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The series aims to dissect how Iran’s mental health infrastructure, access to care, and societal well-being have been systematically eroded under decades of corruption, mismanagement, and repression. Iran is facing a mental health crisis of staggering proportions. One in four Iranians is currently affected by a diagnosable mental disorder [1]. Yet even these figures underestimate the depth of the crisis, because so many suffer in […] - [Crushed Minds, Broken System: Iran's Mental Health Crisis Under the Islamic Republic (An FISN Research Project)](https://freeiransn.com/crushed-minds-broken-system-irans-mental-health-crisis-under-the-islamic-republic-an-fisn-research-project-2/): By: Dr. Alborz Bahador, Clinical psychologist, Researcher and practitioner This article is the first in a series of scholarly investigations into the state of mental health and medical resources in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The series aims to dissect how Iran’s mental health infrastructure, access to care, and societal well-being have been systematically eroded under decades of corruption, mismanagement, and repression. Introduction Iran is facing a mental health crisis of staggering proportions. One in four Iranians is currently affected by a diagnosable mental disorder [1]. Yet even these figures underestimate the depth of the crisis, because so many suffer […] - [The Two Trillion Dollar Drain: Iran’s Military Spending Versus National Needs (1995–2024)](https://freeiransn.com/the-two-trillion-dollar-drain-irans-military-spending-versus-national-needs-1995-2024/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, CSUSM (An FISN Research Project) Over the past three decades, Iran is estimated to have spent approximately two trillion US dollars on military programs, weapons development, and projects related to weapons of mass destruction. This staggering figure represents not just a vast financial outlay, but a profound misallocation of national resources. It diverted wealth from critical priorities such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, and instead entrenched the regime’s control through militarization and external aggression. Read More - [Amid ceasefire, struggle for Iranian freedom must accelerate](https://freeiransn.com/amid-ceasefire-struggle-for-iranian-freedom-must-accelerate/): By: Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Published in Hartford Courant: June 25, 2025 https://www.courant.com/2025/06/25/opinion-amid-ceasefire-struggle-for-iranian-freedom-must-accelerate/?clearUserState=true The bombs have stopped—for now. After twelve days of missile strikes, air raids, and near-regional catastrophe, a ceasefire has taken hold between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The streets of Tehran are quieter. The skies over Iraq and the Gulf are momentarily clear. World markets have breathed a sigh of relief. But let’s be absolutely clear: this is not peace. It is a pause. And in that pause lies a critical choice. Because behind the headlines of military escalation […] - [Amid ceasefire, struggle for Iranian freedom must accelerate](https://freeiransn.com/amid-ceasefire-struggle-for-iranian-freedom-must-accelerate-2/): By: Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst (Published in Hartford Courant) The bombs have stopped—for now. After twelve days of missile strikes, air raids, and near-regional catastrophe, a ceasefire has taken hold between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The streets of Tehran are quieter. The skies over Iraq and the Gulf are momentarily clear. World markets have breathed a sigh of relief. But let’s be absolutely clear: this is not peace. It is a pause. And in that pause lies a critical choice. Read More - [The Andaryan Gold Mine: Environmental Devastation, Labor Exploitation, and Models for Democratic Mining Changes in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/the-andaryan-gold-mine-environmental-devastation-labor-exploitation-and-models-for-democratic-mining-changes-in-iran/): Dr. Reza Sami, Emeritus Professor, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines FISN Research Series The Andaryan gold mine in Varzaghan County, East Azerbaijan Province, epitomizes the environmental degradation and labor exploitation endemic in Iran’s mining sector under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This paper examines the mine’s historical and financial context, extraction methods, environmental and labor abuses, and the systemic corruption underpinning these practices. Drawing on international best practices, the paper argues that democratic governance and transparent oversight are essential to transforming Iran’s mining sector into a model of sustainability and social justice. It highlights […] - [Nationwide Uprising: Mapping Iran’s Year of Protest and Paths to Total Regime Change (March 21, 2024 – March 21, 2025](https://freeiransn.com/nationwide-uprising-mapping-irans-year-of-protest-and-paths-to-total-regime-change-march-21-2024-march-21-2025/): By Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) Research Team This report presents a comprehensive analysis of nationwide protests in Iran from March 21, 2024, to March 21, 2025. Drawing on data obtained from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—gathered by their Resistance Units inside Iran—the study documents 3,902 distinct protest events spanning a wide array of social and occupational groups.  Read more - [Nationwide Uprising: Mapping Iran’s Year of Protest and Paths to Total Regime Change (March 21, 2024 – March 21, 2025](https://freeiransn.com/nationwide-uprising-mapping-irans-year-of-protest-and-paths-to-total-regime-change-march-21-2024-march-21-2025-2/): By Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) Research Team Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. 1. Abstract This report presents a comprehensive analysis of nationwide protests in Iran from March 21, 2024, to March 21, 2025. Drawing on data obtained from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—gathered by their Resistance Units inside Iran—the study documents 3,902 distinct protest events spanning a wide array of social and occupational groups. Key findings include sectoral breakdowns (health workers, retirees, truck drivers, farmers, etc.) and quantitative […] - [“No to Execution Tuesdays”: Iran’s Political Prisoners Resist a Regime of Repression](https://freeiransn.com/no-to-execution-tuesdays-irans-political-prisoners-resist-a-regime-of-repression/): Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Every Tuesday, political prisoners across Iran go on hunger strike in defiance of a regime that has turned execution into routine governance. The campaign—known as “No to Execution Tuesdays”—began with the courage of women in Evin Prison and now echoes across 46 prisons nationwide. It is more than protest—it is a cry for life against the machinery of death. As scholars of Iranian heritage, we have a responsibility not only to study and reflect—but to stand with these prisoners in spirit, in speech, and in global advocacy. Their voices […] - [“No to Execution Tuesdays”: Iran’s Political Prisoners Resist a Regime of Repression](https://freeiransn.com/no-to-execution-tuesdays-irans-political-prisoners-resist-a-regime-of-repression-2/): By: Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Every Tuesday, political prisoners across Iran go on hunger strike in defiance of a regime that has turned execution into routine governance. The campaign—known as “No to Execution Tuesdays”—began with the courage of women political prisoners in Evin Prison and now echoes across 46 prisons nationwide. It is more than protest—it is a cry for life against the machinery of death. As scholars of Iranian heritage, we have a responsibility not only to study and reflect—but to stand with these prisoners in spirit, in speech, and in global […] - [Iran’s Brain Drain Crisis: A Strategic Failure Beyond Economics](https://freeiransn.com/irans-brain-drain-crisis-a-strategic-failure-beyond-economics/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, CSUSM While Iran’s persistent economic turmoil, rooted in mismanagement, corruption, and systemic opacity, is well-documented, a less visible yet profoundly damaging crisis is quietly eroding the nation’s potential from within: the large-scale emigration of its educated population. This “brain drain” is not only depleting the country’s intellectual capital but also severely hindering its long-term development, particularly in critical sectors like healthcare, education, and innovation. This paper explores the causes, consequences, and implications of Iran’s brain drain, situating it within the broader context of the Islamic Republic’s ideological and economic policy priorities. Read More - [Handshakes Aren’t Peace: Why Washington Must Hold Iran Accountable](https://freeiransn.com/handshakes-arent-peace-why-washington-must-hold-iran-accountable/): By Professor Kazem Kazerounian, University of Connecticut Opinion Editorial published in Hartford Courant The headlines are currently dominated by President Trump’s whirlwind Middle East tour, making deals, and pronouncements that the U.S. and Iran have “sort of” agreed to terms on a nuclear deal, with talk of “very serious negotiations” for long-term peace. But amid state dinners and back-channel selfies, diplomatic photo-ops can feel intoxicating: negotiators sit down with Tehran—whether in Vienna, Doha, or via back-channel talks—headlines proclaim a “historic opportunity,” markets soar, and pundits treat the Islamic Republic like a conventional adversary. Once the cameras pack up, however, Iran’s brutality […] - [Iran: The Tide Turning for Regime Change?](https://freeiransn.com/iran-the-tide-turning-for-regime-change/): By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, Member of the Advisory Board of the Harvard International Review, Harvard University Since the end of 2017, there has been a paradigm shift regarding Iranian affairs. December of that year saw the outbreak of a nationwide uprising which featured explicit calls for regime change and participation from virtually all segments of Iranian society. This was followed by similar uprisings in November 2019, January 2020, and September 2022, the last of which continued to spawn major protests for approximately six months before the regime’s violent crackdown managed to suppress it. But even then, popular unrest persisted, and […] - [Shared Existential Threat: The Turban and Crown’s Next War on Iran’s Democratic Alternative](https://freeiransn.com/shared-existential-threat-the-turban-and-crowns-next-war-on-irans-democratic-alternative/): By: Prof. Kazem Kazerounian A version of this article is published in Washington Examiner August 13, 2026 Since the United States and Israel launched their February 28 attacks, thousands have reportedly been killed, shipping routes have come under assault, and the Strait of Hormuz has become an instrument of coercion. Yet missiles, blockades, and negotiations cannot answer the central political question: Who can lead Iran beyond the Islamic Republic? That answer will determine whether the country moves toward popular sovereignty or is trapped between competing forms of authoritarian rule. For the Iranian regime, that question is more dangerous than any […] - [از الهیات سلطنت تا ولایت فقیه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%b7%d9%86%d8%aa-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%aa-%d9%81%d9%82%db%8c%d9%87/): از الهیات سلطنت تا ولایت فقیه: تداوم سنت پیوند دین و حکومت در اندیشه سیاسی ایران یا تبارشناسی مشروعیت قدسی دکتر عزیز فولادوند، جامعه شناس و اسلام پژوه یکی از بنیادی‌ترین پرسشهای تاریخ اندیشه سیاسی ایران آن است که چرا ایده جدایی دین از دولت، برخلاف تجربه اروپای مدرن، هیچگاه به سنت غالب در اندیشه سیاسی ایران تبدیل نشد۔ پاسخ رایج، این مسئله را صرفاً به آموزه‌ها و خوانش معینی از فقه شیعه نسبت می‌دهند؛ گویی نظریه «ولایت فقیه» صرفاً نتیجه تحول در فقه امامیه است۔ اما می‌توان فرضیه‌ای عمیق‌ تر را مطرح کرد: نظریه «ولایت فقیه» نه صرفاً محصول […] - [The Iranian Regime's Academic Facade: A Statement from the Free Iran Scholars Network](https://freeiransn.com/the-iranian-regimes-academic-facade-a-statement-from-the-free-iran-scholars-network/): Statement by the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) condemns the Iranian regime’s continued instrumentalization of academic institutions and internationally respected scientists to advance a false narrative of legitimacy, openness, and scientific progress. Universities are sacred spaces dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, independent inquiry, and the free exchange of ideas. They should never serve as instruments of political propaganda for a government that systematically criminalizes intellectual freedom and suppresses dissent. The reality facing Iran’s academic community stands in stark contrast to the image the regime seeks to project. Iranian universities have become sites of […] - [The Islamic Republic: Preserving the Form, Losing the Substance](https://freeiransn.com/the-islamic-republic-preserving-the-form-losing-the-substance/): By: Professor Matthew TasoojiThe Islamic Republic of Iran continues to exist as a constitutional and institutional system. Its formal structure remains intact, its government functions, and its state institutions continue to operate. Beneath this appearance of continuity, however, many of the foundations that once sustained the regime have weakened substantially. The concentration of political authority, the cohesion of the ruling elite, the country’s economic strength, the government’s public legitimacy, the effectiveness of state institutions, and its ability to manage crises have all steadily deteriorated. Taken together, the political, economic, social, and security developments of recent years suggest that while the […] - [Beyond Blood](https://freeiransn.com/beyond-blood/): Collective Memory and the Political Psychology of Legitimacy Toward a Responsibility–Memory Model of Political Legitima Iraj AbediniPsychologist | Political Psychology ResearcherSweden AbstractPolitical legitimacy is commonly understood through institutional arrangements, legal authority, electoral processes, or ideological systems. Considerably less attention has been devoted to the psychological mechanisms through which legitimacy is socially produced, preserved, and contested across generations. This article argues that legitimacy cannot be adequately understood without examining the interaction between individual moral agency, symbolic recognition, and collective memory. Drawing upon Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital, Maurice Halbwachs’ concept of collective memory, and contemporary perspectives in political psychology and […] - [اپوزیسیون در سپهر سیاست](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%be%d9%88%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%b3%db%8c%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%b3%d9%be%d9%87%d8%b1-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa/): اپوزیسیون در سپهر سیاست: تحلیلی جامعه‌شناختی از قدرت، مقاومت و سازمان‌ یابی دکتر عزیز فولادوند: جامعه شناس و اسلام شناس اپوزیسیون به مثابه کنشگر اجتماعی و جایگاه آن در جامعه‌شناسی سیاسی موضوع این مقاله است. بازخوانی نظریه‌های قدرت، هژمونی و کنش جمعی ما را به درک این مفهوم نزدیک می کند خوانشی از منظر جامعه‌شناسی سیاسی از منظر جامعه‌شناسی، اپوزیسیون به گروهها، احزاب، جنبشها یا نیروهای اجتماعی گفته می‌شود که با ساختار قدرت یا سیاستهای حکومت مخالفت می‌کنند و تلاش دارند بر تصمیم گیری‌های سیاسی، اجتماعی یا اقتصادی تأثیر بگذارند یا آن را تغییر دهند۔ جامعه‌شناسی «اپوزیسیون» را صرفاً یک […] - [](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%aa%d9%86%da%af%d9%87-%d8%ae%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%86/): تنگه خیابان: میدان شکست هژمونی استبداد دکترعزیز فولادوند، جامعه شناس و اسلام شناس .مقاله به اهمییت «خیابان» به مثابه عرصه عمومی و امکان ظهور اراده جمعی با اتکاء به نظریات جامعه شناسی می پردازد در گفتمان سیاسی حاکمیت، گاه از «تنگهٔ خیابان» به‌عنوان مفهومی راهبردی یاد می‌شود؛ مفهومی که نشان می‌دهد برای رژیم، کنترل خیابان و فضای عمومی، حتی اهمیتی فراتر از کنترل تنگه هرمز دارد. اگر تنگهٔ هرمز شریان ژئوپولیتیک و اقتصادی دولت است، «تنگهٔ خیابان» شریان بقا و بازتولید قدرت سیاسی آن محسوب می‌شود. زیرا حکومتها ممکن است در عرصهٔ بین‌المللی تحت فشار قرار گیرند و همچنان دوام […] - [تماشای بازی ایران، با زخمی در دل](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b2%db%8c-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%8c-%d8%a8%d8%a7-%d8%b2%d8%ae%d9%85%db%8c-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%af%d9%84/): Prof. Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۱۱ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ دارم بازی ایران و نیوزیلند را تماشا می‌کنم۔ حسم ساده نیست۔ چیزی در دلم همزمان می‌جوشد و سنگینی می‌کند۔ بخشی از وجودم می‌خواهد تیم ایران پیروز شود، اما نمی‌توانم فراموش کنم که نام ایران را یک رژیم ضدایرانی به گروگان گرفته است۔ هنوز با هر حرکت بازیکن ایرانی چیزی در دلم تکان می‌خورد۔ هنوز وقتی نام ایران روی صفحه می‌آید، قلبم بی‌اختیار واکنش نشان می‌دهد۔ این نام، نام رژیم نیست۔ نام خاک ماست۔ نام مردم ماست۔ نام رنج‌ها، خاطره‌ها، استعدادهای سرکوب‌شده، و رؤیاهای دزدیده‌شده ماست۔ اما […] - [Iran at a Crossroads: Negotiations, Internal Rivalries, and the Future of Change](https://freeiransn.com/iran-at-a-crossroads-negotiations-internal-rivalries-and-the-future-of-change/): Hossain Jahansouz, Ph.D. As international attention once again turns to negotiations between Iran and the United States, a familiar question resurfaces: Can diplomacy alter the trajectory of one of the Middle East’s most consequential states? Much of the discussion focuses on nuclear issues, sanctions, and regional security. Yet the more important story may lie inside Iran itself. The country’s future will be shaped not only by diplomatic negotiations but also by the interaction between deep domestic crises, growing social pressures, and intensifying struggles within the ruling establishment. Iran today faces a convergence of challenges that extends far beyond foreign policy. […] - [The “Dungeon” Banner on Their Shoulders — The Return of Suffering to the Streets](https://freeiransn.com/the-dungeon-banner-on-their-shoulders-the-return-of-suffering-to-the-streets/): Dr. Aziz Fooladvand In the quiet streets of Germany, where the memory of history still carries the smell of ashes, and the collapsed walls of despotism still stand in the mind of Europe, a name suddenly rises from the depths of darkness: SAVAK. A name that, for thousands of Iranians, was not an administrative institution, but the sound of a cell door closing; the damp smell of a torture chamber; the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs at midnight to tear a human being from the embrace of life. SAVAK was not merely a security institution; it was a metaphor […] - [پرچمِ «سیاهچال» بر دوش](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%be%d8%b1%da%86%d9%85%d9%90-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%87%da%86%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a8%d8%b1-%d8%af%d9%88%d8%b4/): بازگشت رنج به خیابان در خیابان‌های آرام آلمان، جایی که حافظهٔ تاریخ هنوز بوی خاکستر می‌دهد و دیوارهای فروریختهٔ استبداد هنوز در ذهن اروپا ایستاده‌اند، ناگهان نامی از اعماق تاریکی سر برمی‌آورد: «ساواک». نامی که برای هزاران ایرانی نه یک سازمان اداری، بلکه صدای بسته شدن درِ سلول بود؛ بوی نمِ شکنجه گاه؛ صدای قدم‌هایی که نیمه‌شب بر پله‌ها بالا می‌آمدند تا انسانی را از آغوش زندگی بیرون بکشند. ساواک فقط یک نهاد امنیتی نبود؛ استعاره‌ای بود از ترسی سازمان‌ یافته. قدرتی که می‌ خواست انسان را پیش از آنکه بدنش را بشکند، در درون خویش فرو بریزد. و اکنون، […] - [Rejecting the Portrayal of Reza Pahlavi as Iran's Future Leader: An Open Letter from the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN)](https://freeiransn.com/an-open-letter-from-the-free-iran-scholars-network-fisn/): May 10, 2026 As political leaders, business executives, policymakers, and media institutions continue to engage in consequential discussions about Iran’s future, we issue this letter with a sense of urgency grounded in scholarship, professional expertise, and decades of close engagement with Iranian society and politics. We understand the consequences of elevating narratives that mistake visibility for legitimacy. Modern Iranian history offers repeated lessons about the dangers of externally amplified political projects detached from organizational reality inside the country. In recent years, a coordinated effort has escalated across some segments of the media ecosystem and policy circles to portray Reza Pahlavi […] - [Statement by the Free Iran Scholars Network on the medical neglect of Narges Mohammadi](https://freeiransn.com/statement-by-the-free-iran-scholars-network-on-the-medical-neglect-of-narges-mohammadi/): May 3, 2026. The Free Iran Scholars Network unequivocally condemns the deliberate denial of essential medical care to Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of Iran’s most prominent defenders of human rights. The refusal to provide urgently needed medical treatment while she remains imprisoned in Zanjan constitutes not only a grave violation of fundamental human rights, but also a clear breach of international legal obligations, including the prohibition against cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. The systematic deprivation of healthcare for political prisoners reflects a broader pattern of weaponizing medical neglect as a tool of repression. We further […] - [چگونه باید رژیم را انداخت؟ مرز میان واقعیت و توهم](https://freeiransn.com/%da%86%da%af%d9%88%d9%86%d9%87-%d8%a8%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%af-%d8%b1%da%98%db%8c%d9%85-%d8%b1%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%ae%d8%aa%d8%9f-%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%b2-%d9%85%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%82/): .این رژیم دقیقاً با چه سازوکاری قرار است کنار برود؟ بدون پاسخ شفاف به این سؤال، هر برنامه و هر ادعای رهبری فاقد اعتبار و معناست Prof. Kazem Kazerounian / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا هر تلاشی برای ساختن یک اپوزیسیون واقعی در برابر رژیم حاکم بر ایران، به چند پیش‌نیاز اساسی نیاز دارد: رهبری، سازماندهی، پلتفرم سیاسی روشن، و تعهد به موازین دموکراتیک. اما مهم‌تر از همه یک سؤال است: «این رژیم دقیقاً با چه سازوکاری قرار است کنار برود؟» بدون پاسخ شفاف به این سؤال، هر برنامه و هر ادعای رهبری فاقد اعتبار و معناست. این «چگونه» نه […] - [سلامت روان در یک صد سال دیکتاتوری](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%af%d8%b1-%db%8c%da%a9-%d8%b5%d8%af-%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%af%db%8c%da%a9%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%b1%db%8c/): سلامت روان در یک صد سال دیکتاتوری روانشناس ایرج‌عابدینی دسامبر ۲۰۲۵ چکیده این مقاله به بررسی پیامدهای تاریخی و جاریِ یک قرن سرکوب سیاسی، جنگ، فقر و تبعیض بر سلامت روان جمعی ایران می‌پردازد. با مروری بر تعریف سازمان جهانی بهداشت (WHO) از سلامت روان، تاریخچهٔ جهانی و ایرانیِ مراقبت‌های روانی و سپس تحلیل پیامدهای روانی ـ اجتماعیِ استبداد در ایران از کودتای رضاخان تا دورهٔ معاصر، مقاله نشان می‌دهد که سرکوب بلندمدت نظام‌مند چه تأثیرات عمیق و پایداری بر اعتماد اجتماعی، تاب‌آوری جمعی و شیوع اختلالات روان‌پزشکی داشته است. همچنین وضعیت سلامت روان زنان و جوانان، پیامدهای جنگ و […] - [حين تُحرَّف الوقائع وتُغتال الحقيقة: كلفة الخطأ في فهم المعارضة الإيرانية](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%aa%d9%8f%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%8e%d9%91%d9%81-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%b9-%d9%88%d8%aa%d9%8f%d8%ba%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%82%d8%a9-%d9%83/): بقلم: البروفيسور كاظم كازرونيان، عميد كلية التصنيع في جامعة كونيتيكت (2012–2024)۔ في لحظة تتصاعد فيها الإعدامات في إيران بشكل لافت، يبرز نقاش موازٍ لا يقل خطورة: كيف يُعاد تقديم تاريخ المعارضة الإيرانية، وعلى أي أساس تُبنى الأحكام حولها؟ هذا السؤال عاد إلى الواجهة بعد المقابلة التي أجراها الإعلامي Tucker Carlson مع الضابط السابق في وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية John Kiriakou، والتي تضمنت سلسلة من الادعاءات المثيرة للجدل بشأن منظمة مجاهدي خلق الإيرانية۔المشكلة لا تكمن فقط في اختلاف التقديرات السياسية، بل في مستوى الدقة التاريخية. فالمقابلة قدّمت روايات تتناقض مع وقائع موثقة، ما يطرح تساؤلات حول خطورة التعامل مع ملفات حساسة دون […] - [Riscrivere la storia mentre i dissidenti muoiono: il costo di fraintendere il MEK](https://freeiransn.com/riscrivere-la-storia-mentre-i-dissidenti-muoiono-il-costo-di-fraintendere-il-mek/): Di Prof. Kazem Kazerounian, già Preside della School of Engineering presso la University of Connecticut (2012–2024), 2 maggio 20262 Questa risposta è stata inviata al signor Tucker Carlson il 1° maggio 2026. Alla data di pubblicazione di questa nota, non è stata ricevuta alcuna risposta. Nel suo podcast del 28 aprile 2026, Tucker Carlson ha intervistato John Kiriakou, un ex ufficiale della CIA, durante il quale sono state avanzate diverse affermazioni false sul MEK. Anche una semplice verifica dei fatti dimostra che l’intervistato manca delle più elementari conoscenze sul MEK, e tuttavia formula accuse gravi senza fornire la minima prova. […] - [Réécrire l’histoire pendant que les dissidents meurent : le coût d’une mauvaise lecture de l’Organisation des Moudjahidine du Peuple d’Iran (OMPI)OMPI](https://freeiransn.com/reecrire-lhistoire-pendant-que-les-dissidents-meurent-le-cout-dune-mauvaise-lecture-de-lorganisation-des-moudjahidine-du-peuple-diran-ompi/): Par le Professeur Kazem Kazerounian, ancien doyen de la School of Engineering à l’University of Connecticut (2012–2024), 2 mai 2026 Cette mise-au-point a été envoyée à Tucker Carlson le 1er mai 2026. À la date de publication de cette note, aucune réponse n’a été reçue. Dans son podcast du 28 avril 2026, Tucker Carlson a interviewé John Kiriakou, ancien officier de la CIA, au cours duquel plusieurs affirmations erronées ont été formulées à propos de l’OMPI. Même une vérification sommaire des faits montre que l’intervenant ne possède pas les connaissances les plus élémentaires sur l’OMPI, et pourtant il avance des […] - [ماهِیت - و نه شکل](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%90%db%8c%d8%aa-%d9%88-%d9%86%d9%87-%d8%b4%da%a9%d9%84/): مقاله‌ای در مورد چشم‌انداز فعلی اپوزیسیون ایراننوشته پروفسور محمد حسین تسوجی در تحلیل‌های مربوط به گذارهای سیاسی، به‌ویژه در بافت‌های اقتدارگرا، تمایز مکرری بین برجستگی نمادین و جوهره سازمانی پدیدار می‌شود. در مورد چشم‌انداز اپوزیسیون ایران، این تمایز به‌ویژه برجسته است. بازیگران سیاسی رقیب ادعاهای متفاوتی در مورد مشروعیت، نمایندگی و ظرفیت حکومتداری ارائه می‌دهند؛ با این حال، پیشینه تجربی و تداوم سازمانی آنها به‌طور قابل‌توجهی متفاوت است۔ رضا پهلوی، پسر پادشاه سرنگون شده ایران، در سال‌های اخیر تلاش کرده است تا خود را به‌عنوان یک رهبر بالقوه اپوزیسیون معرفی کند. علیرغم تلاش برای حفظ حضوربین‌المللی پایدار، ابتکارات سیاسی او […] - [When Substance, and Not the Form, Matters](https://freeiransn.com/when-substance-and-not-the-form-matters/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs In analyses of political transitions, especially in authoritarian contexts, a recurring distinction emerges between symbolic prominence and organizational substance. In the case of Iran’s opposition landscape, this distinction is particularly salient. Competing political actors present divergent claims regarding legitimacy, representativeness, and capacity for governance; however, their empirical grounding and organizational continuity vary significantly. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed monarch of Iran, has in recent years attempted to position himself as a potential opposition leader. Despite sustained international visibility, his political initiatives over approximately four decades […] - [رادیو فردا و همنوایی با گفتمان قدرت مسلط](https://freeiransn.com/1939-2/): رادیو فردا و همنوایی با گفتمان قدرت مسلط گزارشی که در وب‌ سایت «رادیو فردا»  در تاریخ ۱۵ فروردین ۱۴۰۵ درباره اعدام دو زندانی سیاسی سازمان مجاهدین خلق ایران به نامهای وحید بنی عامریان و ابوالحسن منتظر و دیگر اعدامیان هوادار این سازمان، منتشر شده است، از منظر تحلیل گفتمان رسانه‌ای نمونه‌ای قابل تأمل از نحوه بازتولید زبان قدرت در یک رسانه به ظاهر مستقل به شمار می‌آید. بررسی دقیق این گزارش نشان می‌دهد که ساختار روایت و واژگان به‌ کاررفته در آن، تا حد زیادی بازتاب ‌دهنده ادبیاتی است که از سوی ساختار رسمی قدرت در ایران تولید و […] - [Rewriting History While Dissidents Die: The Cost of Getting the MEK Wrong](https://freeiransn.com/rewriting-history-while-dissidents-die-the-cost-of-getting-the-mek-wrong/): Professor Kazem Kazerounian This response was sent to Mr. Carlson on May 1, 2026. As of the publication of this note, no response has been received. Tucker Carlson, in his April 28, 2026, podcast, interviewed John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer, during which several false claims were made about the MEK. Even a cursory fact-check shows that the interviewee lacks the most basic knowledge of the MEK, yet makes serious allegations without offering an iota of evidence. As elaborated below, the MEK was not founded by Mr. and Mrs. Rajavi, was not based in Iraq in the 1970s, did not […] - [With a Fragile Ceasefire Holding: What Lies Ahead for the Iranian People?](https://freeiransn.com/with-a-fragile-ceasefire-holding-what-lies-ahead-for-the-iranian-people/): Kazem Kazerounian, Ph.D., Mohammad Mohaddes, Ph.D., Hossein Saiedian, Ph.D. The roar of missiles has subsided into a fragile, fifteen-day silence. As of April 10, 2026, the Islamabad-brokered ceasefire has offered a weary world a brief moment to breathe. But for Iran’s ninety-three million citizens, the central question remains unchanged: how to bring about the regime’s overthrow by the Iranian people themselves, without the international community becoming ensnared in a wider conflict. While diplomats debate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the contours of nuclear enrichment, the regime continues its internal war unabated. At dawn in Tehran, the state […] - [Four Actors, One Conflict: Why Iran’s Future May Ultimately Be Decided by Its People](https://freeiransn.com/four-actors-one-conflict-why-irans-future-may-ultimately-be-decided-by-its-people/): Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs The current tensions surrounding Iran are often framed as a geopolitical standoff between states. But a closer look reveals a more complex reality—one in which four distinct actors are entangled in overlapping conflicts: the United States, Israel, the Iranian regime, and the Iranian people themselves. Each has different objectives, tools, and constraints, and understanding these differences is key to identifying a path forward. For the United States, the central priorities remain preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and maintaining a degree of stability in an already volatile […] - [Leadership as a Neuro-Social Regulatory Illusion:](https://freeiransn.com/leadership-as-a-neuro-social-regulatory-illusion/): A Neuropsychological and Clinical Analysis of Transitional Leadership in the Iranian Opposition By: Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden April 15, 2026 AbstractThis study provides an interdisciplinary analysis of leadership within the Iranian opposition by integrating perspectives from psychology, neuropsychology, and political theory. It conceptualizes leadership not merely as a political phenomenon but as a neuro-social regulatory mechanism emerging under conditions of chronic uncertainty and collective insecurity. Drawing on conceptual analysis, contemporary literature, and clinical observations, the article argues that narratives of “transitional leadership” may function as emotional anchors that reduce anxiety by simplifying complex political realities (Gross, 2015; Carleton, 2016). At […] - [Media Hype and Engineered Alternative!!](https://freeiransn.com/media-hype-and-engineered-alternative/): Khalil Khani, PhD  The uprising of the Iranian people in January 2026, which was carried out with the slogan emphasizing on, No2ShahNo2Mullahs, was suppressed in the most severe manor. The mass media estimates the number of dead at a terrifying figure of up to 20,000 people and perhaps more. Of course, the supreme leader and his officials of Iran’s religious fascism acknowledged such a massacre. As the supreme leader of the religious criminal regime appeared on state television and said: We have silenced the sedition, but it is not enough, repeating it three times. In this situation, the factory of […] - [شرارتِ مدعیِ عدالت](https://freeiransn.com/1913-2/): شرارتِ مدعیِ عدالت «کمیته عدالت انتقالی» طرح ادعای «عدالت‌» خواهی از سوی کنشگران سیاسی، در هر زمینه‌ای، مستلزم برخورداری از نوعی «مشروعیت اخلاقی» و «اعتبار اجتماعی» است؛ مفهومی که در سنت ‌های مختلف فلسفی، از جان رالز تا ماکس وبر، به اشکال گوناگون مورد بحث قرار گرفته است. در این چارچوب، عدالت نه صرفاً یک ادعا، بلکه برساخته‌ای است که در پیوند با تجربه زیسته، کنش تاریخی و جایگاه اجتماعی افراد معنا می‌یابد. از منظر نظریه عدالت نزد رالز، عدالت به‌ مثابه «انصاف» مستلزم آن است که کنشگران، خود را در موقعیتی فرضی و برابر با دیگران تصور کنند؛ موقعیتی […] - [The Most Dangerous Kind of War Is One Without Strategy](https://freeiransn.com/the-most-dangerous-kind-of-war-is-one-without-strategy/): Published in Hartford Courant April 1, 2026 Kazem Kazerounian, Professor, UConn More than a month into open confrontation between Iran, the United States, Israel, and now parts of the Arab Gulf, the illusion of a quick and decisive conflict has collapsed. What remains is a grinding war with no clear endpoint and no coherent strategy. Inside Iran, the damage is severe. The upper ranks of the dictatorial regime’s leadership have been decimated. First- and second-tier commanders have been eliminated in rapid succession. Yet the system has not collapsed. The machinery of repression and command continues to function. Military infrastructure has taken […] - [FISN Condemns Attacks and Threats Against Universities in Iran, Israel, and the Persian Gulf](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-condemns-attacks-and-threats-against-universities-in-iran-israel-and-the-persian-gulf/): On March 28, 2026, the campus of Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST – علم و صنعت) in Tehran was bombed during military operations involving the United States and Israel. At the same time, the Iranian regime has targeted academic institutions, including a June 2025 missile strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and has issued threats against U.S.-affiliated university campuses in the Persian Gulf. Universities are now being pulled into the line of fire.  FISN condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms. Targeting a university is an attack on its entire community. It endangers students, […] - [](https://freeiransn.com/1896-2/): عالم کتاب به مغز یا روشنفکر؟ دکتر خلیل خانی “علم بدون وجدان، چیزی جز ویرانی روح نیست. فرانسوا رابله” علم و دانش در یک انقلاب نه تنها به عنوان ابزاری برای پیشرفت پس از پیروزی، بلکه به عنوان موتور محرک و زیربنای فکری عمل می‌کند. نقش‌های کلیدی علم را می‌توان در دسته‌بندی‌های زیر خلاصه کرد۔ آگاهی‌بخشی، تغییر ذهنیت و بنیان فکری: پیش از وقوع فیزیکی هر انقلاب، یک انقلاب فکری رخ می‌دهد. دانش باعث می‌شود مردم وضعیت موجود را روشن و واضح تر زیر سوال ببرند و به دنبال جایگزین‌های منطقی باشند۔  شکستن جزم‌اندیشی: علم با جایگزین کردن مشاهده و استدلال […] - [Flooding the Zone: Reza Pahlavi and the Politics of Manufactured Confusion](https://freeiransn.com/flooding-the-zone-reza-pahlavi-and-the-politics-of-manufactured-confusion/): Kazem Kazerounian, Professor Over the past several days Reza Pahlavi has issued a rapid series of public statements that illustrate a striking pattern in his political communication. Within a short period he has delivered messages that are inconsistent, contradictory, and difficult to reconcile with one another. In one message he urged citizens inside Iran to stay home and avoid unnecessary confrontation with the regime. In another he spoke about the necessity of armed struggle and attacking regime centers. In a separate appeal addressed to the international community he called on governments and observers to watch closely as Iranians celebrate the […] - [](https://freeiransn.com/1875-2/): در نکوهش جنگ ایران میان آتش و ضرورت آزادی راه حل سوم عزیز فولادوند پرسشی در میانهٔ طوفان جنگِ نیروهای خارجی هرگز در خلأ شکل نمی‌گیرد. پشت هر حرکت نظامی، سایه‌ای از منافع اقتصادی، راهبردی و ژئوپلیتیک گسترده است؛ به ‌ویژه در منطقه‌ای چون خاورمیانه و کشوری چون ایران که همچون گرهی حساس در نقشهٔ انرژی، تجارت و قدرت جهانی قرار گرفته است. در چنین میدان پیچیده‌ای، تصمیم‌ها کمتر از جنس آرمان‌اند و بیشتر در مدار محاسبهٔ منافع می‌چرخند. در کنار این واقعیت، گاه حلقه‌هایی از نیروهای سیاسی داخلی نیز پدید می‌آیند که امید قدرت را نه در نیروی جامعه، […] - [بر کشورم چه رفته است](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a8%d8%b1-%da%a9%d8%b4%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%85-%da%86%d9%87-%d8%b1%d9%81%d8%aa%d9%87-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa/): Prof. Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۱۰ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ بر کشورم چه رفته است که فریاد دخترک زیر آوار بمب، برای عده‌ای آهنگ «باباکرم» است۔ بر کشورم چه رفته است که شادی بر زخم، به نام سیاست فروخته می‌شود۔ بر کشورم چه رفته است که صدای انفجار، برای عده‌ای نوید رهایی شده است۔ بر کشورم چه رفته است که نام ایران را فریاد می‌زنند، اما دلشان با تپش ایران نمی‌تپد۔ این اختلاف نظر نیست۔ این شکاف در وجدان است۔ نسل ۵۷ را به یاد بیاوریم۔ نسلی که شاید جهان را ساده‌تر از آنچه بود دید۔ […] - [Anatomy of a Lie: The Myth of MEK–Saddam Collaboration](https://freeiransn.com/the-mek-and-the-iran-iraq-war-the-anatomy-of-a-manufactured-allegation/): By Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Dean of College of Engineering (2012-24) , University of Connecticut “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” — Aldous Huxley 1. Introduction The claim that the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, MEK, collaborated with Saddam Hussein during the Iran–Iraq War did not emerge as a neutral historical conclusion. It originated as an instrument of political demonization. From the earliest years of the Islamic Republic, the accusation was deployed to delegitimize and isolate its most organized domestic opponent. Over time, repetition transformed accusation into assumption. However, political utility is not historical evidence. This article […] - [Erasure as Assessment: Middle East Forum’s Analysis of Iran’s Opposition](https://freeiransn.com/erasure-as-assessment-middle-east-forums-analysis-of-irans-opposition/): Morteza (Mory) Gharib, Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Medical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Member of National Academies of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Inventors Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Dean of College of Engineering (2012-24), School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Connecticut   Originally published in: https://www.e-ir.info/2026/03/10/opinion-erasure-as-assessment-middle-east-forums-analysis-of-irans-opposition/ Read Farsi translation here: The Middle East Forum’s January 2026 report, “After the Protests: Who Can Lead Iran?”, does not analyze Iran’s principal opposition, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK); it attempts to erase it. That is not scholarship but political denial. No serious observer can wish away a movement that has […] - [حذف به‌مثابه ارزیابی: تحلیل مجمع خاورمیانه از اپوزیسیون ایران](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ad%d8%b0%d9%81-%d8%a8%d9%87%d9%85%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%a8%db%8c-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%84%db%8c%d9%84-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%b9-%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%b1/): Read the original in English here مرتضی (موری) غریباستاد هانس دبلیو لیپمن در مهندسی هوافضا و مهندسی پزشکیمؤسسه فناوری کالیفرنیاعضو آکادمی‌های ملی هنر و علوم، مهندسی، و مخترعان۔ کاظم کازرونیاناستاد و رئیس دانشکده مهندسی (۲۰۱۲ تا ۲۰۲۴)دانشکده مهندسی مکانیک، هوافضا و ساختدانشگاه کانکتیکات۔ گزارش ژانویه ۲۰۲۶ مجمع خاورمیانه با عنوان «پس از اعتراضات: چه کسی می‌تواند ایران را رهبری کند؟» اپوزیسیون اصلی ایران، سازمان مجاهدین خلق (MEK) را تحلیل نمی‌کند؛ بلکه تلاش می‌کند آن را حذف کند۔ این پژوهش نیست، بلکه انکار سیاسی است۔ هیچ ناظر جدی نمی‌تواند جنبشی را که بیش از شش دهه در حیات سیاسی و اجتماعی […] - [Geopolitical Dynamics in Contemporary Iranian Opposition Politics](https://freeiransn.com/geopolitical-dynamics-in-contemporary-iranian-opposition-politics/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs Introduction Recent anti-regime mobilizations among the Iranian diaspora have coincided with reports of extensive state repression inside the country. Although casualty figures and detention numbers remain contested due to restricted information access and the absence of transparent official reporting, the protests have generated significant transnational activism and diplomatic attention. Beyond immediate human rights concerns, these developments illuminate a deeper structural phenomenon, namely the interaction between authoritarian resilience, diaspora politics, and digital-era information warfare. The contested prominence of exiled political figures such as Reza Pahlavi raises questions about […] - [پسماند بمب خاموشِ زیست‌محیطی قرن بیست‌ویکم](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%be%d8%b3%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%85%d8%a8-%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b4%d9%90-%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%ad%db%8c%d8%b7%db%8c-%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%86-%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%b3%d8%aa/): انباشت کوه زباله در جنگل سراوان رشت گروه کار محیط زیست: دکتر حسین جهانسوز، دکتر خلیل خانی، حمید معاصر، خانم زهره روشن غیاثی، خانم الهام زندی، مهندس محمود مقدس و رضا تند۔ بحران پسماند به یکی از بزرگترین تهدیدهای زیست‌محیطی، بهداشتی، اقتصادی وسیاسی قرن بیست‌ ویکم تبدیل شده است۔ رشد جمعیت، شهرنشینی، مصرفگرایی، گسترش صنایع و ضعف نظام ‌های مدیریت شهری، باعث شده اند حجم زباله‌های تولید شده از ظرفیت طبیعی زمین برای جذب و تجزیه فراتر رود۔ پسماند دیگر فقط یک مشکل زیبایی ‌شناختی شهری نیست؛ بلکه به منبعی برای آلودگی آب، خاک و هوا، انتشار گازهای سمی، گلخانه‌ای، […] - [Transition in the Shadow of Wounds](https://freeiransn.com/transition-in-the-shadow-of-wounds/): The Psychology of Collective Trauma, Political Anger, and Institutional Architecture in Contemporary Iran By: Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden February 21, 2026 The issue facing contemporary Iran is not merely a crisis of a political structure; it is a foundational crisis in the “relationship between society and power.” For more than a century, from the Constitutional Revolution to the present, the central struggle has not been over the replacement of individuals, but over transforming the “logic of legitimacy.” The recurring questions have been these: Where does power originate? How is it restrained? What mechanism keeps it accountable? And most critically, which […] - [وفاداری به شریعت، تطهیرِ قدرت](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%88%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%b4%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%b9%d8%aa%d8%8c-%d8%aa%d8%b7%d9%87%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%90-%d9%82%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%aa/): سروش: موعظه به‌ جای مقاومت عزیز فولادوندفوریه ۲۰۲۶ (بهمن ۱۴۰۴) Dr. Aziz Fooladvand (Feb. 2026) عبدالکریم سروش در مواجهه با سرکوب مردم بی‌دفاع در قیام دی‌ماه ۱۴۰۴، سرکوبی که به ‌درستی افق هولوکاست را احضار می‌کند، یعنی حذفِ سازمان‌ یافتهٔ انسانِ عریان از حق، به لکنت زبانی می‌افتد، به اندرز پناه می‌برد و با لحنی تصنعیِ «دردمندانه» هم گزمه‌ گان را نصیحت می‌کند و هم حاکمان را به خویشتنداری می ‌خواند. در پیام ویدیویی او، سهم مردم در این اخلاق ‌نمایی، نه عدالت و مقاومت، که صبر است؛ نه سیاست که «کوبیدنِ بیشتر» برای گشودن «در»ی موهوم به گفت ‌وگو […] - [Recycling Regime Disinformation and Propaganda to Rescue a Dying Dictatorship](https://freeiransn.com/recycling-regime-disinformation-and-propaganda-to-rescue-a-dying-dictatorship/): FISN: Professor Sheehan submitted the following letter on February 4, 2026 to the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs in response to an article by Tirza Shorr. As of today, February 15, 2026, neither the author nor anyone else at the Center has responded. The letter has therefore been submitted to FISN for publication. By Ivan Sascha Sheehan, Ph.D., Interim Dean and Professor, College of Public Affairs, University of Baltimore The January 22, 2026 essay, “Ideology and the Politics of Convenience: Why Has an Exiled Iranian Islamic Socialist Cult Become Popular Among Western Elites?”, by Tirza Shorr of the […] - [سپاه در لیست سیاه پایان مشروعیت، آغاز حساب‌ کشی تاریخی](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%b3%d9%be%d8%a7%d9%87-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d9%84%db%8c%d8%b3%d8%aa-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%87-%d9%be%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b9%db%8c%d8%aa%d8%8c-%d8%a2%d8%ba%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%ad/): عزیز فولادوندفوریه ۲۰۲۶ (بهمن ۱۴۰۴) Dr. Aziz Fooladvand (Feb. 2026) روز نهم بهمن ۲۰۲۶، تاریخ به احترام خون ایستاد و فریاد قیام‌ها در سیاست جهانی پژواک یافت۔ نهادی که از دل چماقداری و سرکوب عریان در سال‌های نخست پس از انقلاب بهمن بیرون جهید، نهادی که بعدها نام «سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی» را بر خود گذاشت، سرانجام به جایگاه واقعی‌اش پرتاب شد: فهرست تروریسم. این تصمیم، نشانه‌ای از تعهد به آزادی بود؛ بازگشتی به اصل و آرمانی مشترک. اما در روایتی ناهموار و گاه شرمسارکنند و دیر به میدان آمده. سپاه پاسداران، ضامنِ امتداد سیاهی شریعت، و سلطنت شر بود. […] - [Reza Pahlavi: One Flag, One Leader, One Disaster](https://freeiransn.com/iran-reza-pahlavi-fachism/): By: Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst This article is addressed to politicians, journalists, and analysts who view Reza Pahlavi favorably as a political alternative for Iran. That position often reflects frustration with the Islamic Republic and a desire for stability. But political projects must be judged by their conduct and likely outcomes. What follows argues that the current trajectory of RP-aligned movements point not toward democratic transition, but toward a recipe for internal war in Iran, one that would inevitably spread across the region and, if history is any guide, draw the United States […] - [(گفتمان نوهٔ میرپنج و سپاه پاسداران) سیاست فریب و رؤیای بیعت](https://freeiransn.com/%da%af%d9%81%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%86%d9%88%d9%87%d9%94-%d9%85%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%be%d9%86%d8%ac-%d9%88-%d8%b3%d9%be%d8%a7%d9%87-%d9%be%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7/): عزیز فولادونددیماه ۱۴۰۴ (ژانویه ۲۰۲۶) در ایران، فاجعه‌ای دهان گشود و تاریخ را بلعید. در سیاهیِ مطلقِ خبر، آنگاه که صداها بریده و راهها بسته بودند، داسِ مرگِ فقاهت بر گردن جان‌ها فرود آمد. سکوت را نه طبیعت، که قدرت مهندسی کرد؛ خلأیی ساخت تا شبح مرگ، بی‌رقیب و بی‌ نام، بر شهرها سایه بیندازد. دیماه ۱۴۰۴، نه صرفاً یک رخداد هولناک، که شکافی بود ژرف؛ گسستی قاطع از گذشته‌ای نفرین ‌شده که در آن، توتالیتاریسمِ فقاهت و سلطنت، هر دو، با منطق حذف، حیات خود را تمدید کرده‌اند. هر دو، بر استمرار سیاهی و تباهی استوار بوده‌ اند. کیسه‌ […] - [Reza Pahlavi's Blueprint for Dictatorship](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavis-blueprint-for-dictatorship/): Why Reza Pahlavi’s “Emergency Phase” Plan Reproduces Authoritarian Rule By: Professor Kazem Kazerounian, Jan 2026 Foreword: This article examines Reza Pahlavi’s 2024 “Emergency Phase” transition plan and argues that, despite its democratic rhetoric, it outlines a governance model that structurally reproduces authoritarian rule. The plan concentrates legislative, executive, and judicial power under a single unelected leader, relies on extended emergency authority with no hard endpoint, and postpones popular sovereignty, political pluralism, and civil liberties to an undefined future. It frames stability through centralized control rather than consent, treats ethnic diversity as a security problem rather than a political reality, and […] - [موج‌سواری یا مقاومت؟ دو منطق متضاد در سیاست ایران](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d9%88%d8%ac%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c-%db%8c%d8%a7-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%9f-%d8%af%d9%88-%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b7%d9%82-%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b6%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%af%d8%b1/): Prof. Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۱۰/ کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ چرا اپوزیسیونِ موج‌سوار به بن‌بست می‌رسد در سیاست ایران، «موج‌سواری» واژه‌ای آشناست. سوار شدن بر خیزش‌ها، هیجان‌ها، ترندها و احساسات لحظه‌ای مردم، بدون آن‌که سازمانی ساخته شده باشد، بدون آن‌که هزینه‌ای پرداخت شود و بدون آن‌که مسئولیتی در برابر تاریخ پذیرفته شود. در این منطق، سیاست نه میدان تعهد، بلکه صحنهٔ واکنش‌های سریع و کم‌هزینه است. در مقابل این رویکرد، تاریخ سازمان مجاهدین خلق ایران، تاریخ ایستادگی است، نه سر خوردن بر سطح موج‌ها۔ موج‌سواری سیاسی بر این تصور استوار است که قدرت از بیرون می‌آید؛ از […] - [Call for Immediate International Action: Stop the Iranian Regime’s Massacre](https://freeiransn.com/call-for-immediate-international-action-stop-the-iranian-regimes-massacre/): Sign this open letter here. We, the Clinicians for Free Iran Network, express profound alarm at the rapidly escalating violence and grave human rights violations unfolding across Iran. Evidence from credible human rights organizations confirms that the Iranian state is actively preparing and executing mass violence against its own population. The nationwide protests that began on 28 December 2025, driven by economic collapse and demands for fundamental political and social rights have been met with lethal, coordinated repression. Security forces have used live ammunition, mass beatings, arbitrary arrests, and battlefield-style tactics against largely peaceful civilians across multiple provinces. (Human Rights Watch) Civil society monitors […] - [وجدان جهان در برابر کیسه‌های جسد](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%88%d8%ac%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%ac%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%b1-%da%a9%db%8c%d8%b3%d9%87%d9%87%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%ac%d8%b3%d8%af/): Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden ایرج عابدینی، روان‌شناس، سوئد English translation here. کشتار سازمان‌یافته، خشونت نمادین و فروپاشی روان جمعی در ایران آنچه در دی‌ماه ۱۴۰۴ در ایران رخ داده، یک “سرکوب امنیتی” یا “برخورد خشن با اعتراضات” نیست. با مجموعه‌ای از شواهد مستند، الگوهای تکرارشونده و گزارش‌های نهادهای بین‌المللی، اکنون می‌توان با دقت گفت که جامعهٔ ایران با فاز جدیدی از جنایت سازمان‌یافتهٔ حکومتی روبه‌روست؛ فازی که در آن، خشونت نه واکنشی، بلکه سیاست است۔ گزارش‌های منتشرشده از سوی Human Rights Watch و Amnesty International به‌صراحت تأکید می‌کنند که استفاده از سلاح گرم علیه معترضان غیرمسلح، نه موردی و نه […] - [The World’s Conscience Confronted with Body Bags](https://freeiransn.com/the-worlds-conscience-confronted-with-body-bags/): Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden Farsi translation here. Organized Killing, Symbolic Violence, and the Collapse of Collective Psyche in Iran What has unfolded in Iran in January 2026 is neither a “security crackdown” nor a “harsh response to protests.” Based on extensive documentation, recurring patterns, and reports by international human-rights organizations, it is now possible to state with precision that Iranian society is facing a new phase of organized state crime. In this phase, violence is no longer reactive; it is policy. Reports published by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International explicitly emphasize that the use of live ammunition against unarmed […] - [Iran’s Uprising and the Collapse of the Rescue Fantasy](https://freeiransn.com/irans-uprising-and-the-collapse-of-the-rescue-fantasy/): By Prof. Kazem Kazerounian Original in Hartford Courant (1/18/2026) January 2026 will be remembered not only for the scale of the uprising in Iran, but for the clarity it produced. In a matter of weeks, illusions that had lingered for decades collapsed. About the people. About the regime. About fake alternatives. And about the idea that Iran would somehow be saved from the outside. What unfolded across the country was not noise. It was a verdict. 1. A people who crossed the line This uprising was not about reform. It was not about pressure or negotiation. It was about ending […] - [Reza Pahlavi as a Recipe for Civil War in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-as-a-recipe-for-civil-war-in-iran/): Shirin Nariman: Iran Analyst and former political prisoner A new uprising in Iran has injected fresh energy and hope into Iranian society and once again placed the country at the center of global attention. As with every major popular movement, questions quickly arise about leadership. Many observers ask who might emerge as the face of change and who could guide Iran in a post-regime future. One narrative, promoted by a specific political camp, centers on the former Iranian crown prince, the son of the deposed shah who was overthrown nearly half a century ago. His supporters portray him as a […] - [مؤلفه‌های قیام دی‌ماه](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%82%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%af%db%8c%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%87/): Dr. Aziz Fooladvand (Jan 2026) دکتر عزیز فولادوند فروپاشی مشروعیت، شکست گفتمان مهارو بازتعریف مسئولیت شهروندی قیام دی ‌ماه ۱۴۰۴ را می‌توان نقطهٔ عطفی در تحول کنش جمعی در ایران معاصر دانست؛ رخدادی که از سطح اعتراضات پراکندهٔ معیشتی فراتر رفت و به ‌سرعت به یک چالش بنیادین علیه مشروعیت سیاسی، ایدئولوژیک و استراتژیک نظام حاکم تبدیل شد۔ این خیزش فقط انفجار نارضایتی نیست۔ بلکه مرحله ‌ای تعیین‌کننده در فرایند سرنگونی فاشیسم دینی است۔ آغاز اعتراضات و اعتصابات در بازار تهران، به‌عنوان یکی از پایگاه‌های سنتی پیوند خورده با روحانیت، صرف‌ نظر از بار نمادین، نشانه‌ای عینی از گسست تاریخی […] - [Iran's Protests are Evolving to Confront the Regime](https://freeiransn.com/irans-protests-are-evolving-to-confront-the-regime/): By Sofey Saidi (originally published on realclearworld.com) Eight days into nationwide demonstrations that began on December 28, 2025, Iranians have taken to the streets in a remarkably widespread upheaval. What started as protests against soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial has now spread to 78 cities and 222 locations across 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces, reflecting not only economic desperation but deeper political discontent. What makes this wave of unrest notable is not merely its scale, but its persistence. Despite an escalating security response, demonstrations have continued across diverse regions, signaling a population increasingly unwilling to retreat in the […] - [Change in Iran Must Come From Its People, Not Foreign Powers](https://freeiransn.com/change-in-iran-must-come-from-its-people-not-foreign-powers/): Sofey Saidi, Ph.D. (originally published on realclearword.com) Twelve days after protests first erupted on December 28, 2025, Iran’s streets remain alive with defiance. Demonstrations have now spread to more than 111 cities across all 31 provinces, uniting workers, students, and families exhausted by inflation, repression, and decades of broken promises. This is not a foreign conspiracy. It is a home-grown revolt by a society that has been denied freedom for more than four decades. Iranians are not waiting for outsiders to deliver democracy. They are risking their lives to claim it themselves. As security forces fire live rounds and arrest […] - [MEK: The Regime’s Most Feared Nightmare Inside Iran](https://freeiransn.com/mek-the-regimes-most-feared-nightmare-inside-iran/): Organization, Legitimacy, and the Opposition Inside Iran That the Regime Cannot Control Professor Kazem Kazerounian Farsi vervios here The principle that Iran’s alternative must come from inside Iran is not merely reasonable. It is essential. No durable political change can be imposed from abroad. No movement without deep social roots, lived experience, and internal legitimacy can shape Iran’s future. The engine of change must be the Iranian people themselves, acting inside their own country, bearing the costs of resistance, and determining their own path. On this point, there should be no ambiguity. That is precisely why the Iranian regime seeks […] - [مجاهدین خلق: کابوسِ رژیم در داخل ایران](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%af%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%ae%d9%84%d9%82-%da%a9%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%b3%d9%90-%d8%b1%da%98%db%8c%d9%85-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%ae%d9%84-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86/): Prof. Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۱۰ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ English version here این‌که آلترناتیو ایران باید از داخل ایران برخیزد، یک حرف معمولی نیست۔ یک اصل تعیین‌کننده است۔ تغییر واقعی از بیرون وارد نمی‌شود۔ از دل جامعه می‌جوشد۔ از تجربهٔ زیسته۔ از هزینه دادن۔ از ایستادن در میدان۔ مشروعیت سیاسی با حضور و پرداخت بها ساخته می‌شود، نه با نام و تصویر۔ دقیقاً به همین دلیل است که رژیم می‌کوشد این اصل را از معنا خالی کند۔ وقتی دیگر نمی‌تواند وجود مقاومت سازمان‌یافته در داخل ایران را انکار کند، روایت را عوض می‌کند۔ القا می‌کند […] - [Free Iran Scholar Network (FISN) Statement on Internet Shutdowns and Killings in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/free-iran-scholar-network-fisn-statement-on-internet-shutdowns-and-killings-in-iran/): Jan 8th, 2026 The Free Iran Scholar Network (FISN) condemns the Islamic Republic of Iran’s deliberate use of internet shutdowns and severe connectivity restrictions as a tool of repression. These blackouts are not “security measures.” They are operational cover for violence. When the internet goes dark, the regime creates a killing zone with reduced witness, reduced documentation, and delayed emergency response. In past uprisings and in the current wave of unrest, Iranians have repeatedly reported that the deadliest crackdowns occur during the hours of forced disconnection when families cannot locate loved ones, journalists cannot verify events, and evidence cannot reach […] - [ریزگردها، آلودگی هوا یا ابرمرگ؟](https://freeiransn.com/dust-storms-air-pollution/): *گروه محیط زیست ریزگردها، مجموعه ای از ذرات مایع یا جامد هستند که ازمنابع ومواد مختلف تشکیل شده اند و به طور یکنواخت و همگون بصورت ذرات پراکنده توسط یک گاز که معمولاً هواست توزیع می شوند.  ریزگردها دارای قطری چند میلی ماکرو متر تا یک ماکرو متر میباشند. ریزگردهای معلق در هوا، مانند گرد و غبار ، نقش مهمی در فرآیند بارش دارند و هسته هایی را که تراکم وانجماد رطوبت  روی آنها صورت می گیرد، فراهم می کنند. آنها با انعکاس نوربسمت اتمسفر، یا جذب تابش خورشید، ورودی تشعشات آن را مانع وسبب افزایش روشنایی میشوند. در نتیجه […] - [No Mullahs, No Shah](https://freeiransn.com/no-mullahs-no-shah/): By: Professor Donna Hughes  (https://open.substack.com/pub/donnahughes548818/p/no-mullahs-no-shah?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) A nationwide uprising is ongoing in Iran, with protests in nearly all the provinces. I have followed the Iranian resistance and attended their conferences for over 30 years. Their consistent aim is to overthrow the religious dictators and build a democracy. The ruling dictators of Iran have destroyed the economy through serious mismanagement and corruption. The national currency, the rial, is collapsing, having plummeted to a record low of more than 1.4 million rials to the US dollar. Also, mismanagement of water supplies and the environment has led to the drying up of rivers and […] - [When Treating the Wounded Becomes a Crime: A Physician’s Ethical Appeal to the Global Medical Community](https://freeiransn.com/when-treating-the-wounded-becomes-a-crime-a-physicians-ethical-appeal-tothe-global-medical-community/): Ashraf Zadshir, MD Medicine rests on a foundational moral principle: physicians must treat the injured without fear, discrimination, or coercion. This principle known as medical neutrality is not aspirational; it is codified in international law, professional ethics, and the collective conscience of the medical profession. Yet during Iran’s uprisings, particularly since 2019, this principle has been systematically violated. Physicians have been punished not for political activism, but for fulfilling their most basic ethical duty: saving lives. As a physician, I write not as a political actor, but as a member of a profession under attack. Medicine Under Repression During periods […] - [آزادی و استقلال: یا هر دو، یا هیچ‌کدام](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a2%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%db%8c-%d9%88-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%82%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%84-%db%8c%d8%a7-%d9%87%d8%b1-%d8%af%d9%88%d8%8c-%db%8c%d8%a7-%d9%87%db%8c%da%86%da%a9%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%85/): Prof. Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۹ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ استقلال و آزادی دو شعار جدا نیستند. یک حقیقت‌اند. یک سرنوشت مشترک. هر بار که یکی تضعیف شده، دیگری هم فرو ریخته است. تاریخ معاصر ایران این را نه در نظریه، بلکه با هزینه‌های واقعی ثبت کرده است۔ در فضای سرکوب، خشم و فرسودگی، طبیعی است که آزادی فوری‌تر به نظر برسد. آن‌قدر فوری که بعضی حاضر شوند استقلال را بهای آن بدانند. این واکنش انسانی است. قابل فهم است. اما قابل پذیرش نیست. آزادی‌ای که بر چشم‌پوشی از استقلال بنا شود، دوام نمی‌آورد. یا مصادره […] - [Iran at the Tipping Point: When Prediction Becomes Reality](https://freeiransn.com/iran-at-the-tipping-point-when-prediction-becomes-reality/): By Dr Alborz Bahador, Clinical Psychologist, California, USA “The real question now is not whether another uprising will happen, but when — and whether the world will be ready to recognize and support the Iranian people’s demand for freedom.” That question, posed with urgency on November 15, 2025, at the Free Iran Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C., is no longer theoretical. Less than two months later, unfolding events are confirming what hundreds of scholars, policymakers, and experts warned: Iran has entered a decisive and irreversible phase. The convention brought together hundreds of Iranian American scholars, professionals, human rights advocates, youth, and community leaders […] - [Uprising in Iran: False Narratives to Smother a Very Real Revolt](https://freeiransn.com/uprising-in-iran-false-narratives-to-smother-a-very-real-revolt/): January 3, 2026 By Dr. Franck Radjai, Director of Research at the CNRS and analyst at the Foundation for Middle East Studies (FEMO) Update from the original version published at https://lediplomate.media/tribune-soulevement-iran-faux-recits-etouffer-revolte-reelle On the sixth day of a rapidly intensifying uprising, Iran is revealing a reality the authorities are methodically trying to conceal: the existence of a deep-rooted protest movement—both political and national in nature—that goes far beyond short-term economic grievances. The unrest began in Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar, where merchants hit hard by the collapse of the national currency and runaway inflation launched a strike. The mobilization quickly spread to […] - [Hijacking Hope: The Campaign to Derail Iran’s Revolt](https://freeiransn.com/hijacking-hope-the-campaign-to-derail-irans-revolt/): Professor Kazem Kazerounian, University of Connecticut, USA Iran is once again in uprising. Streets fill with people. Voices rise despite fear, surveillance, and violence. What we are witnessing today is not a sudden or isolated event. It is the continuation of a long and painful struggle. Fifty years of resistance against the current regime, and more than a century of struggle for freedom, dignity, and popular sovereignty. From the Constitutional Revolution to the fall of the Shah, the Iranian people have repeatedly demanded control over their own destiny. From early resistance to clerical rule to the mass uprisings of recent […] - [Imagine the Iranian regime falling](https://freeiransn.com/imagine-the-iranian-regime-falling/): Michèle Friend, Professor, George Washington University Jan. 2026 This is a very unstable and delicate moment. As we have seen in many moments of regime change from a violent and repressive regime, a strong man steps in (or there are several successive changes in strong men that happen very rapidly). Order and stability are eventually restored. There is a honeymoon period, when promises are made, and hope returns to the people. The honeymoon lasts a while, but remember that the strong man is just that: a strong man. The promises cannot be fulfilled quickly and efficiently, because there is a […] - [در نبرد شرافت، بی‌طرفی معنا ندارد](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%af%d8%b1-%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%af-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%aa%d8%8c-%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%81%db%8c-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%86%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af/): نویسنده: م. حلوایی (از ایران) یران، سرزمین خستگی‌های فروخورده و رؤیاهای به تعویق‌افتاده است. سال‌هاست که قدرت با ترس سخن می‌گوید؛ با زندان، با فقر، با دروغ. نظامی که نه فقط خیابان‌ها، که ذهن‌ها را اشغال کرده است تا مردم، پیش از فریاد، به سکوت عادت کنند و پیش از امید، به بقا بیندیشند. دیکتاتوری این‌گونه زنده می‌ماند؛ با عادی‌کردن ترس و تبدیل آینده به واژه‌ای مبهم. این همان دیکتاتوری بر ذهن‌هاست۔ اما تاریخ هرگز در سکوت دفن نمی‌شود. زیر این خاکستر تحمیل‌شده، آتشی هست که هنوز نفس می‌کشد. خشم نجیب مردمی که نمی‌خواهند فراموش شوند و امیدی که هر […] - [The Industry of Shah-Making for Iran; Yesterday by Coup, Today by Media](https://freeiransn.com/the-industry-of-shah-making-for-iran-yesterday-by-coup-today-by-media/): By Jila Andalib, IT Specialist and Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst Farsi version here A reminder of a bitter experience for those who hold Iran’s freedom close to their hearts. In 1953, democracy in Iran did not fail because there were no options. It failed because, at the decisive moment, hesitation replaced resolve. The issue was not unclear. Mohammad Mosaddegh stood for a simple principle: the rule of law versus imposed power. He was a lawful prime minister. He had popular support. He symbolized national independence. But when foreign interests moved to restore the Shah, society fractured instead of […] - [صنعت شاه‌سازی؛ دیروز با کودتا، امروز با رسانه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%b5%d9%86%d8%b9%d8%aa-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%9b-%d8%af%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b2-%d8%a8%d8%a7-%da%a9%d9%88%d8%af%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%8c-%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b2/): ژیلا عندلیب، متخصص فناوری اطلاعات و تحلیل‌گر سیاسی و حقوق بشر ایران Jila Andalib, IT Specialist & Iran Political and Human Rights Analyst English version here یادآوری یک تجربهٔ تلخ برای آنان که دل در گرو آزادی ایران دارند۔ در سال ۱۳۳۲، دموکراسی در ایران به این دلیل شکست نخورد که گزینه‌ای نداشت. شکست خورد چون در لحظهٔ تصمیم، تردید جای ایستادگی را گرفت۔ مسأله مبهم نبود. محمد مصدق نمایندهٔ یک اصل روشن بود: حکومت قانون در برابر قدرت تحمیلی. او نخست‌وزیری قانونی بود. پشتوانهٔ مردمی داشت. نماد استقلال ملی بود. اما وقتی منافع خارجی برای بازگرداندن شاه وارد عمل […] - [بیانیه شبکه پژوهشگران ایران آزاد در پاسخ به بیانیه فعالین دانشجویی دانشگاه تهران«لحظه برخاستن است؛ آتش آزادی را روشن می‌کنیم!»](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c%d9%87-%d8%b4%d8%a8%da%a9%d9%87-%d9%be%da%98%d9%88%d9%87%d8%b4%da%af%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a2%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d9%be%d8%a7/): English version here بیانیه شبکه پژوهشگران ایران آزاد (FISN)در پاسخ به بیانیه فعالین دانشجویی دانشگاه تهران«لحظه برخاستن است؛ آتش آزادی را روشن می‌کنیم!» گروهی از فعالین دانشجویی دانشگاه تهران با صدور بیانیه‌ای خطاب به دانشجویان و مردم آزادی‌خواه، از فرارسیدن لحظه‌ای تاریخی برای قیام و ایستادگی خبر داده‌اند۔ شبکه پژوهشگران ایران آزاد (FISN) همبستگی کامل خود را با این دانشجویان و با همه دانشجویان سراسر ایران اعلام می‌کند؛ دانشجویانی که بار دیگر، آگاهانه و شجاعانه، در صف نخست مبارزه برای آزادی ایستاده‌اند۔ در این بیانیه تصریح شده است که «فریاد پایان دیکتاتوری اکنون در جای‌جای شهرها بلند شده و ظلم […] - [Statement by the Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN)In Response to the Declaration by Student Activists at the University of Tehran“It’s Time to Rise; We Will Ignite the Fire of Freedom”](https://freeiransn.com/statement-by-the-free-iran-scholars-network-fisnin-response-to-the-declaration-by-student-activists-at-the-university-of-tehranits-time-to-rise-we-will-ignite-the-fire-of-freedom/): Farsi vesion here A group of student activists at the University of Tehran has issued a declaration addressed to students and freedom-seeking people, announcing the arrival of a historic moment for uprising and steadfast resistance. The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) expresses its full solidarity with these students and with students across Iran who have once again placed themselves, consciously and courageously, on the front lines of the struggle for freedom. In their declaration, the students state that “the cry for the end of dictatorship is now echoing across cities everywhere, and oppression is more shaken than ever.” They emphasize […] - [سکوتِ رنگارنگ، زخمِ مشترک](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%af%db%8c%d9%86%d9%90-mek-iran-pmoi-silence-%d8%b3%da%a9%d9%88%d8%aa%d9%90/): سطرهای یاغی / سطر ۸ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا۔ Professor Kazem Kazerounian در برابرِ مجاهدین، سکوت طیفی‌ست رنگارنگ؛ از ملاحظه تا پروژه‌ای برای ناپدید کردن. این سطر دعوت به فریاد نیست. التماسی‌ست برای یک لحظه تنهایی با آینهٔ خود؛ برای آن‌کس که مجاهدین را می‌بیند و سکوتش گوش‌ها را کَر می‌کند؛ برای یافتنِ جای خود در این طیف۔ در سطری پیش نوشتم از سکوتی که گاهی داشتم. خودسانسوری. سکوتی از جنس ملاحظه. نه از ترس. از امید به گفت‌وگو. اما دیگر سکوت‌ها هم صف کشیده‌اند. بی‌رحم۔ سکوتی‌ست از جنس راحتی، از عادت می‌آید، از این‌که گفتن هزینه دارد […] - [Pahlavi-Style is Lumpenism](https://freeiransn.com/iran-pahlavi-style-is-lumpenism/): Pahlavi-Style is Lumpenism: A Tool of the Mullah Regime for Destroying the Real Opposition and Denying Iran’s Democratic Future By: Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden  December 2025 In recent years, Iranian society has witnessed major waves of resistance and protest; waves that were not only socially and politically significant, but also psychological turning points in the collective consciousness of the people. The uprisings of December 2017, November 2019, and the 2022 movement together form the clearest picture of this historic path. All three challenged the political structure of the mullah regime, and all three offered a new vision of Iran’s future, […] - [Mashhad 2025: How the Regime Manufactured a “Monarchist” Crowd to Sabotage a Memorial](https://freeiransn.com/mashhad-2025-how-the-regime-manufactured-a-monarchist-crowd-to-sabotage-a-memorial/): FISN Staff, December 15, 2025 On 12 December 2025, a seventh‑day memorial ceremony in Mashhad for human‑rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi turned into a violent crackdown. Alikordi had been found dead in his office. Authorities claimed he died of a heart attack, but fellow lawyers and family members raised serious concerns—citing unusual bruising, bleeding from the mouth, and the rapid seizure of office CCTV footage. Alikordi had previously spent time in prison for defending dissidents. The gathering, organized by Alikordi’s family, began with unified anti‑regime slogans. Suddenly, a suspicious and well‑organized group began chanting pro‑monarchy slogans, “Javid Shah” (Eternal King), and […] - [چهره‌ای ماندگار در دانشگاه و آزادی؛ دکتر محمدعلی شیخی](https://freeiransn.com/%da%86%d9%87%d8%b1%d9%87%d8%a7%db%8c-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af%da%af%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b4%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87-%d9%88-%d8%a2%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%db%8c%d8%9b-%d8%af/): ایران (FISN) شبکه پژوهشگران آزاد ایران با اندوهی عمیق، درگذشت استاد برجسته، روشنفکر متعهد و مبارز دیرپای راه آزادی، دکتر محمدعلی شیخی را تسلیت می‌گوید؛ شخصیتی ماندگار که علم، تعهد دانشگاهی و مسئولیت سیاسی را در حساس‌ترین مقاطع تاریخ معاصر ایران به‌هم پیوند زد۔ دکتر محمدعلی شیخی، متولد ۱۳۲۵ در تهران، از استادان برجسته مهندسی معدن و متالورژی و از چهره‌های خوش‌نام دانشگاه تهران بود. او از نخستین روزهای انقلاب ضدسلطنتی تا ۳۰ خرداد ۱۳۶۰، عضو شورای مدیریت دانشکده فنی دانشگاه تهران بود و نقشی مؤثر در دفاع از آزادی دانشگاه، استقلال علمی و حقوق دانشجویان و اساتید ایفا کرد۔ […] - [Scholarship, Conscience, Resistance: Honoring Dr. Mohammad Ali Sheikhi](https://freeiransn.com/scholar-conscience-resistance-honoring-dr-mohammad-ali-sheikhi/): See the Farsi verssion here. The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) mourns with deep sorrow the passing of the distinguished academic, committed intellectual, and steadfast advocate of freedom, Dr. Mohammad Ali Sheikhi, a lasting figure who united scholarship, academic integrity, and political responsibility during some of the most critical chapters of Iran’s contemporary history. Born in Tehran in 1946, Dr. Sheikhi was a respected professor of mining and metallurgy engineering and a prominent member of the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Engineering Council from the early days of the anti-monarchic revolution until June 20, 1981. During this period, he played […] - [بحران آب در ایران](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a8%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a2%d8%a8-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86/): خليل خانی آب یک ماده ضروری برای ادامه حیات است که زندگی بدون آن ممكن نیست. این ماده اساسي به دو شکل: آبهای زیرزمینی و سطحی یافت میشوند. آبهای زیرزمینی از مهمترین منابع آب شیرین جهان محسوب میشوند. آب از لایه های خاک به تدریج در زمین نفوذ می کند، بخشی از آن به لایه های بالایی خاک می چسبد و آب گیاهان را تأمین می کند. این لایه را منطقه اشباع نشده یا وادوز نامند. بیشتر منافذ موجود در این ناحیه را هوا به جای آب پر کرده است. آب در اثر نیروی جاذبه همچنان در زمین نفوذ میکند […] - [The Mashhad Masquerade: The Regime’s False Choice Between Tyranny and Corrupt Ineptitude](https://freeiransn.com/iran-mashhad-reza-pahlavi-mek-pmoi/): Professor Kazem Kazerounian December 13, 2025 On December 12, 2025, the streets of Mashhad, the spiritual capital of the Islamic Republic, witnessed a spectacle that was as theatrical as it was treacherous. Ostensibly, the gathering was a seventh-day memorial service for Khosrow Alikordi, the courageous human rights solicitor whose death in custody was widely understood to be a state-sanctioned assassination. Yet what transpired was not a spontaneous outpouring of grief, but a calculated intelligence operation. The regime, paralyzed by the mounting pressure from the Kanoon-e Shorushi (Mojahedin-E-Khalgh, MEK Resistance Units) and the radicalized street, orchestrated a diversionary play. They allowed […] - [A Tribute to Sixty Years of Silent Bravery](https://freeiransn.com/a-tribute-to-sixty-years-of-silent-bravery/): Professor Kazem Kazerounian, Translation of the Farsi version: فدا: هدیهٔ تاریخ به بقای انسانیت This is a tribute, simple, unadorned, and from the heart, to the supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK): a generation that gave sixty years, burned, and endured. A generation that taught us a timeless truth, that humanity is beautiful when it gives, and kept that beauty alive for decades. It was through these years of giving that we rediscovered the essence of being human. From the act of giving sprang the understanding of sacrifice. Sacrifice speaks without sound. It is a light that […] - [فدا: هدیهٔ تاریخ به بقای انسانیت](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%81%d8%af%d8%a7-%d9%87%d8%af%db%8c%d9%87%d9%94-%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%ae-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%a8%d9%82%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c%d8%aa/): این نوشته ادای احترام است؛ کوتاه، بی‌پیرایه، از دل، برای هوادارانِ سازمانِ مجاهدینِ خلق سطرهای یاغی / سطر۷ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا Prof. Kazem Kazerounian این نوشته ادای احترام است؛ کوتاه، بی‌پیرایه، از دل، برای هوادارانِ سازمانِ مجاهدینِ خلق؛ نسلی که شصت سال بخشید، سوخت، و ماند۔ نسلی که به ما آموخت انسان زمانی زیباست که می‌بخشد و این زیبایی را دهه‌ها زنده نگه داشت۔ و همین سال‌های بخشیدن، ما را دوباره به ریشهٔ انسان بودن برگرداند۔ از دلِ همان عملِ بخشیدن، فهمِ پرداختن بیرون آمد۔ پرداختنی که خویشش بی‌صداست۔ نوری‌ست که راه را می‌بیند، نه خود را۔ و […] - [](https://freeiransn.com/1461-2/): نظرسنجی؛ از ابزار سنجش تا ابزار سلطه (تثبیت هژمونی اقتدارگرایی) در مرداد ۱۴۰۴، گزارشی با عنوان «ترجیحات سیاسی ایرانیان در سال ۱۴۰۳» از سوی مؤسسه‌ی گمان (GAMAAN) منتشر شد؛ نهادی ثبت ‌شده در هلند که توسط عمار ملکی و پویان تمیمی عرب اداره می‌شود. این گزارش، که مدعی سنجش نگرش‌ها و «ترجیحات سیاسی» شهروندان ایرانی است، با وجود ظاهر علمی و داده‌محور خود، از منظر روش‌شناسی تحقیق، بی‌طرفی تحلیلی و جهت‌گیری سیاسی، نیازمند ارزیابی انتقادی جدی است. تحلیل محتوای این گزارش نشان می‌دهد که در پس داده‌ها و نمودارهای آماری آن، نوعی تفسیر جانبدارانه و طبقاتی از واقعیت سیاسی ایران […] - [Diagnosing Authoritarianism:  A Clinical Model Applied to Iran and the Role of the MEK and NCRI](https://freeiransn.com/diagnosing-authoritarianism-a-clinical-model-applied-to-iran-and-the-role-of-the-mek-and-ncri/): Ashraf Zadshir, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor; Scholar and Researcher on HIV/Hepatitis; 2006 California Woman of the Year.  1. Introduction: The Clinical Method as an Analytical Framework Clinical decision-making proceeds through a disciplined sequence of inquiry: the collection of reliable data, the formulation of differential diagnoses, the testing of hypotheses against empirical findings, and the application of treatments whose effects are continuously monitored and reassessed. Although rooted in medical science, this structured method provides a powerful analytic metaphor for understanding political systems that exhibit persistent forms of dysfunction. Viewed through this lens, authoritarianism may be understood as a chronic social pathology; […] - [Clerics Ruling and Disastrous Environmental Degradation in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/clerics-ruling-and-disastrous-environmental-degradation-in-iran/): Khalil Khani As the panel of experts in the Atlantic Council explicitly  emphasized: Iran’s environmental challenges have reached a crisis point. Severe water and air pollution, deforestation, land degradation, desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss are only a few of the increasing number of major environmental issues Iran is faced today. These environmental calamities have become a source of social and economic hardship, a threat to public health and a factor in mounting political protests in Iran.   Forests are one of the most valuable natural resources, which have a considerable protective role in every country’s ecosystems and ecological evolution […] - [مانیفست نسل نو مجاهد: از بودن تا زایش معنا](https://freeiransn.com/%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c%d9%81%d8%b3%d8%aa-%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%84-%d9%86%d9%88-%d9%85%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%af-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%af%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d8%b2%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b4-%d9%85%d8%b9/): دکتر عزیز فولادوند (آبان ۱۴۰۴/ نوامبر ۲۰۲۵) Dr. Aziz Fooladvand (Nov. 2025) نسل امروز در جست‌وجوی معنایی تازه از «بودن» است؛ نسلی که نمی‌خواهد صرفاً تکرارگر گذشته باشد، بلکه می‌خواهد آفریننده‌ی معنایی نو در جهان باشد. این نسل در میانه‌ی سرعت، تغییر و پیچیدگی، به دنبال یافتن تعریفی تازه از خود است — تعریفی که از درون بجوشد، نه از بیرون تحمیل شود. در این مسیر، فرهنگ «آب بودن» می‌تواند چراغ راه باشد. آب، استعاره‌ی زیستنِ آگاهانه و منعطف است؛ جوهری که می‌پذیرد، می‌لغزد، می‌زید و در هر ظرفی معنایی تازه می‌یابد. آب بودن یعنی توان بازتعریف خود در هر […] - [A Manufactured Persona: Reza Pahlavi’s Illusion of Leadership: A Critical Review of His Appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations](https://freeiransn.com/a-manufactured-persona-reza-pahlavis-illusion-of-leadership-a-critical-review-of-his-appearance-at-the-council-on-foreign-relations/): Kazem Kazerounian, Ph.D., ProfessorHossein Saiedian, Ph.D., Professor We are dedicated to fostering informed, rigorous dialogue on the future of Iran. We hope that institutions like the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), known for their pursuit of intellectual rigor and balanced discourse, will continue to uphold these principles. When CFR recently hosted Reza Pahlavi for a public conversation, we felt compelled to voice our concerns. We believe that offering a platform to a figure whose claims to leadership are highly contested and whose public record lacks both democratic legitimacy and operational substance undermines principled human rights discourse. In a letter sent […] - [خودسانسوری – سکوتی از جنسِ ملاحظه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ae%d9%88%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%b1%db%8c-%d8%b3%da%a9%d9%88%d8%aa%db%8c-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%ac%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%90-%d9%85%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ad%d8%b8%d9%87/): سطرهای یاغی / سطر۶ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا نقدی بر من، آنگاه که از بیمِ داوری و شیطان‌سازی، کلامم را نرم کردم۔ گفتن آسان نبود۔ نه از ترس زندان، که از سنگینی نگاه‌ها۔ میانِ قضاوت‌ها و نگاه‌های نیمه‌فهمیده، گاهی حقیقت را آرام‌تر گفتم تا شنیده شود، نه پس زده شود۔ سکوت نکردم از ضعف۔ از عشقِ گفت‌وگو سکوت کردم۔ خواستم پنجره‌ای باز بماند، برای فهم و احترام۔ آن‌قدر هوا را سنجیدم که نسیم ایستاد۔ خواستم سکوت، پلِ فهم شود، اما شد دیوارِ احتیاط۔ در محافل، در مهمانی‌ها، در گفت‌وگو با دوستان، واژه را سنجیدم و جمله را کوتاه کردم […] - [علم و سازمان برای تغییر خردمدار](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%85-%d9%88-%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%aa%d8%ba%db%8c%db%8c%d8%b1-%d8%ae%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%85%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1/): علم و سازمان برای تغییر خردمدار فرهنگ رجایی‌،‌ فیزیکدان،‌ مرکز ملی پژوهش علمی فرانسه   پیشگفتار از رنه دکارت  فیلسوف فرانسوی تا به امروز، اندیشه مدرن و علم بر یک اصل بنیادین استوار بوده‌اند: هر نظریه و الگوی علمی باید از آزمون تجربه و خرد بگذرد. اگر از این منظر به پدیده‌‌های اجتماعی و سیاسی بنگریم، درمی‌یابیم که جنبش‌‌ها و انقلاب‌‌های پیروزمند نیز از همین منطق و روش پیروی کرده‌‌ و بر پایه شناخت، تجربه و آزمون‌ مداوم در صحنه عمل به پیش رفته‌‌اند. ولی چنین فرایندی، چه در علم چه در پهنه اجتماعی، نیازمند سازمان و عمل روش‌مند است. تاریخ […] - [Science and Organization for Rational Change](https://freeiransn.com/science-and-organization-for-rational-change/): Farhang RadjaiPhysicist, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) This article is base on the original version in Farsi. Preface From the time of René Descartes to the present, modern thought and science rely on a fundamental principle: every theory and scientific model must endure the test of reason and experience. If we observe social and political phenomena through this lens, we discover that successful movements and revolutions have followed the same logic and method. They have advanced through knowledge, experience, and the continuous testing of their assumptions in the field of practice. Yet such a process, whether in science […] - [Iran’s Water Insecurity: How Policy and Politics Deepened the National Crisis](https://freeiransn.com/irans-water-insecurity-how-policy-and-politics-deepened-the-national-crisis/): Ali Bagheri, Ph.D., Senior Research Engineer, Brussels, Belgium Abstract Iran faces one of the most severe water crises in the Middle East. While its arid climate naturally limits renewable resources, decades of centralized mismanagement, politically motivated megaprojects, and neglect of ecological limits have turned scarcity into systemic collapse. This paper analyzes the historical, political, and institutional roots of Iran’s water insecurity. It shows that government decisions prioritizing control and megaprojects over sustainability and participation have depleted the country’s hydrological base. Comparative evidence demonstrates that the crisis is man-made, resulting from governance failure rather than nature. 1. Introduction In the 1960s, […] - [جنایت زیست محیطی دیگر، مرگ دریغ انگیز دریاچه ارومیه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ac%d9%86%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%aa-%d8%b2%db%8c%d8%b3%d8%aa-%d9%85%d8%ad%db%8c%d8%b7%db%8c-%d8%af%db%8c%da%af%d8%b1%d8%8c-%d9%85%d8%b1%da%af-%d8%af%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%ba-%d8%a7%d9%86%da%af%db%8c%d8%b2-%d8%af/): دکتر خلیل خانی کارشناس محیط زیست و فعال حقوق بشر این روزها، خبر از مرگ کامل دریاچه ارومیه به گوش میرسد. درحالیکه، کارگزاران حاکمیت آخوندی مهر سکوت بر لبانشان زده اند و جواب اعتراض مردم را با سرکوب مطلق و بگیر و به بند میدهند. اعتراض به وضعیت بحرانی دریاچه ارومیه که در شرف خشک شدن کامل است در سالهای گذشته بسیار رخ داده و همواره با واکنش خشن نیروهای امنیتی و انتظامی روبرو شده است. سالیان پیش فعالان مدنی، تشکلهای حامی محیط زیست و گروههای حقوق بشری به شهروندان فراخوان دادند برای اعتراض به وضعیت وخیم دریاچه ارومیه در […] - [از آتش گذر کرده‌ها](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%a2%d8%aa%d8%b4-%da%af%d8%b0%d8%b1-%da%a9%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%87%d9%87%d8%a7/): دکتر عزیز فولادوند مهر ۱۴۰۴ (سپتامبر ۲۰۲۵) تصاویری آشنا؛ چهره‌هایی روشن، خسته اما سرشار از نیرو۔ تبسم بر لب، آتش در دل۔ آرام نمی‌گیرند، از هیچ کاری و هیچ میدانی نمی‌گریزند، همواره در دسترس‌اند، در میدان‌اند؛ می‌دوند و در عین دویدن، استوار ایستاده‌اند۔ «خواهرانی» آزاد و رها؛ زنانی که بندها را گسسته‌اند، از همسر و فرزند و دلبستگی‌های مادی گذشته‌اند تا خود را وقف رسالت بزرگشان کنند، تا پرچم رسالت بزرگ خود را بر بلندای زمان برافرازند و بند های اسارت را در هم شکنند۔ آنان زنجیرها را گسستند: زنجیر همسر، زنجیر فرزند، زنجیر لذت‌های زودگذر، زنجیر تملک و دلبستگی۔ […] - [Nostalgia For Suppression: Reza Pahlavi’s Imperial Fantasies](https://freeiransn.com/nostalgia-for-suppression-reza-pahlavis-imperial-fantasies/): By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh* This article was originally published by EuraAsia Review on November 4, 2025 Reza Pahlavi’s latest political invention, the so-called “Imperial Guard,” rebranded as a self-styled network of small groups purportedly designed to defy Iran’s ruling regime is cloaked in the language of trust, self-organization, and national renewal, yet the scheme collapses under the weight of its own impracticality. In a state where surveillance is omnipresent and infiltration an art form, the idea of operationally ambiguous cells borders on fantasy. More importantly, Reza Pahlavi’s invocation of his father’s Imperial Guard betrays a lingering nostalgia for the very instruments of repression that defined the monarchy, suggesting not a […] - [The Veil of Rebellion](https://freeiransn.com/the-veil-of-rebellion/): Traslation of the original in Farsi. Professor Kazem Kazerounian They asked why she wore the headscarf; they never asked why she stood tall. Forough once declared: “I have sinned—a sin brimming with ecstasy, in an embrace that was warm and aflame.”And in those words, woman broke through the wall of centuries—out of the cloister of shame, out of the fortress of masculine sanctity. Forough severed the body from sin. She neither repented nor surrendered. She was woman, and she rebelled. She was neither the beginning nor the end. She was the continuation of awakening. She charged against the twin poles […] - [حجابِ طغیان](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ad%d8%ac%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%90-%d8%b7%d8%ba%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%86/): سطرهای یاغی / سطر۵ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا Prof. Kazem Kazerounian گفتند چرا روسری دارد؛ نپرسیدند چرا ایستاده است۔ فروغ گفت: «گنه کردم، گناهی پر ز لذت در آغوشی که گرم و آتشین بود۔» و در همان واژه‌ها، زن از دیوار قرن‌ها بیرون آمد؛ از توبه‌خانه‌ی شرم، از حصار تقدسِ مرد۔ فروغ بدن را از گناه جدا کرد۔ نه توبه کرد، نه تسلیم شد۔ زن بود، و طغیان کرد۔ فروغ آغاز نبود، پایان هم نبود۔ ادامه‌ی بیداری بود۔ بر دو قطبِ تملک و نمایش تاخت تا خویشتن را یافت۔ و زن، آنگاه که بیدار شد، طغیان آغاز شد۔ هر […] - [غیبت به‌مثابه حضور۔ تحلیل روان‌شناختی و اگزیستانسیالیستی از عدم ظهور مسعود رجوی در انظار عمومی](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ba%db%8c%d8%a8%d8%aa-%d8%a8%d9%87%d9%85%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%ad%d8%b6%d9%88%d8%b1%db%94-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%84%db%8c%d9%84-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b4%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%ae/): روانشناس_ایرج_عابدینی Dr. Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden English Translation در پست‌های شبکه‌های اجتماعی و یا در جلسات زنده پرسشی از اینکه “چرا آقای مسعود رجوی، رهبر تاریخی سازمان مجاهدین خلق، سال‌هاست در انظار عمومی ظاهر نمی‌شود؟” مطرح شده و می‌شود۔ هرچند این در سطح ظاهری، پرسشی سیاسی است، اما در عمق خود، از دید من به یکی از بنیادی‌ترین ساحت‌های تجربهٔ انسانی و رهبری آگاهانه مربوط می‌شود۔ پاسخ‌های متفاوتی که از سوی مجاهدین و هوادارانشان در این باره داده می‌شود، خود بازتابی از تنوع لایه‌های روانی و معنایی این مسئله است۔ برخی این غیبت را ناشی از ضرورت‌های امنیتی می‌دانند؛ برخی دیگر […] - [Absence as Presence: A Psychological and Existential Analysis of Massoud Rajavi’s Nonappearance in Public](https://freeiransn.com/absence-as-presence-a-psychological-and-existential-analysis-of-massoud-rajavis-nonappearance-in-public/): Dr. Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden On social media and in live meetings, the question has often been raised: “Why has Mr. Massoud Rajavi, the historical leader of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, not appeared in public for so many years?” Although on the surface this may seem like a political question, at a deeper level it touches, in my view, one of the most fundamental dimensions of human experience and conscious leadership. The diverse answers offered by the Mojahedin and their supporters reflect the many psychological and symbolic layers of this issue. Some attribute his absence to security concerns; others […] - [The Snapback That May Finally Snap the Regime](https://freeiransn.com/the-snapback-that-may-finally-snap-the-regime/): Dr. Hossein Jahansouz, Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades   When the United Nations snapback sanctions on Iran took effect on September 28, 2025, it was not just another diplomatic maneuver. It was the reawakening of global resolve. After years of deception, uranium enrichment far beyond JCPOA limits, and open defiance of international inspectors, the regime in Tehran had run out of excuses. The E3 nations, France, Germany, and the United Kingdo, formally triggered the mechanism on August 28, citing “significant non-performance.” Thirty days later, every major UN sanction suspended […] - [Gray: The Wound of Distance](https://freeiransn.com/gray-the-wound-of-distance/): Rebellious Lines / Line 4 / Kazem Kazerounian, University Professor, USA This is the English translation of the Farsi original A word to those whose hearts beat for Iran, yet whose steps hesitate. Gray is a wound that does not bleed; it only burns, quietly and without sound. It seeks neither light nor darkness. It lingers between fire and ash, between seeing and standing still. It is the color of caution, the hue of fatigue. To be gray is to stand in half-light. You neither cry out to be seen, nor burn to illuminate. You remain in ambiguity to escape […] - [خاکستری: زخمِ فاصله](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%ae%d8%a7%da%a9%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%db%8c-%d8%b2%d8%ae%d9%85%d9%90-%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b5%d9%84%d9%87/): Kazem Kazerounian سطرهای یاغی / سطر۴ / کاظم کازرونیان، استاد دانشگاه، آمریکا سخنی با آنان که قلبشان برای ایران می‌تپد، اما گام‌هایشان درنگ می‌کند۔ خاکستری زخمی‌ست که خون نمی‌ریزد؛ فقط می‌سوزد، آرام و بی‌صدا۔ نه می‌خواهد روشن شود، نه می‌خواهد خاموش۔ می‌ماند میان آتش و خاکستر، میان دیدن و نایستادن۔ رنگ احتیاط است، رنگ خستگی۔ خاکستری بودن یعنی ایستادن در نیم‌نور؛ نه فریاد می‌زنی تا نشانه شوی، نه می‌سوزی تا روشنی ببخشی۔ در ابهام می‌مانی تا از قضاوت بگریزی، اما همین ابهام آرام آرام تو را می‌بلعد۔ وجدان را در حالت تعلیق نگه می‌داری؛ نه می‌گذاری بمیرد، نه اجازه می‌دهی بیدار […] - [Causes of  Desertification in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/causes-of-desertification-in-iran/): Khalil Khani, Ph.D.* Two major environmental hazards affecting the planet earth in the developing world including Iran in terms of nature and magnitude are the problems of deforestation and desertification. Overgrazing, fire, and deforestation thin out or destroy vegetation, leaving exposed soil prone to wind, and water erosion or flooding. Once the nutrient rich top soil blows or washes away, plants may not be able to revive. Overgrazing causes soil compactation, destruction, and elimination of vegetation cover and changes the soil texture. So, rain no longer penetrates the soil, and the plants will lose the water they need to grow. […] - [چرا از مجاهدین و شورای ملی مقاومت حمایت می‌کنم](https://freeiransn.com/%da%86%d8%b1%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d9%85%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%af%db%8c%d9%86-%d9%88-%d8%b4%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d9%85%d9%84%db%8c-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%ad%d9%85%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%aa/): Iraj Abedini, Psychologist, Sweden ایرج عابدینی، روان‌شناس، سوئدمهر ۱۴۰۴ این نوشته در پاسخ به پرسشی است که بارها از من، به‌عنوان یک روان‌شناس، پرسیده‌اند؛چرا از شورای ملی مقاومت ایران و سازمان مجاهدین خلق ایران، و به‌ویژه از رهبری آن حمایت می‌کنم؟ پاسخ من تنها در سیاست یا ایدئولوژی خلاصه نمی‌شود؛ بلکه در درک عمیق‌تری از مفهوم رهبری، رشد و رهایی انسان ریشه دارد۔از منظر روان‌شناسی و تجربه‌ی بالینی، آنچه در این جنبش دیده‌ام، الگویی نادر از رهبری آگاه، مسئول و آزاد است۔ رهبری‌ای که قدرت را برای خود نمی‌خواهد، بلکه آن را در خدمت آزادی انسان می‌گذارد۔ از همین منظر، […] ## Pages - [](https://freeiransn.com/farsi-submission/): راهنمای نگارش و ارسال مقاله به فارسی محیط ویرایشی سامانهٔ مدیریت محتوایی که برای وب‌سایت استفاده می‌شود بر اساس زبان انگلیسی و چیدمان چپ‌به‌راست تنظیم شده است۔ این مسئله باعث می‌شود که هرگونه استفاده از امکانات خودکار، فهرست‌سازی، یا ترکیب‌نویسی فارسی و لاتین موجب به‌هم‌ریختگی ظاهری و ساختاری متن شود۔ به همین دلیل رعایت چند نکته برای حفظ نظم و خوانایی ضروری است۔ پیش از ارسال هر مقاله، لطفاً دستورالعمل کامل مربوط به نگارش مقاله‌های پژوهشی یا دیدگاه را با دقت مرور کنید۔ انتخاب قالب درست و پیروی از ساختار تعیین‌شده شرط لازم برای بررسی و انتشار متن است۔ عدم […] - [FISN Opinion Piece Submission Guidelines](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-opinion-piece-submission-requirements/): By FISN Staff, Updated January 2026 Opinion essays are a vital part of the FISN platform. They provide space for scholars, analysts, professionals, and informed citizens to share perspectives, interpretations, and principled arguments that contribute to the broader conversation about Iran’s democratic transition and the struggle for freedom. FISN advocates a free, secular, and democratic Iran, rejecting all forms of dictatorship, past or present, opposing nuclear armament, and committing to peaceful coexistence with neighbors and the international community. Opinion pieces differ from research articles: Below are the submission guidelines. 1. Descriptive and Impactful Title Provide a short, precise, and meaningful […] - [FISN Research Article Submission Requirements](https://freeiransn.com/fisn-research-article-submission-requirements/): By FISN Staff, Updated January 2026 The following guidelines ensure clarity, consistency, and scholarly rigor across all academic submissions to the FISN website. Each requirement includes a brief explanation and an illustrative example where helpful. 1. Descriptive Title Provide a short, impactful title that clearly communicates the purpose of the article. A strong title helps readers immediately understand the focus of the work. It should be concise, direct, and reflect the article’s central theme—without being vague or overly broad. Clear titles also support indexing, professionalism, and discoverability. Ideal: Principled Resistance and the Path to Democratic Transition in Iran Not ideal: […] - [Religion in Iran: Critics Don’t Get It, MEK Does](https://freeiransn.com/critics-dont-get-iran-the-mek-does/): Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Scholar of Iranian Politics Credible global surveys by Pew and the World Values Survey show that Iranians, despite broad rejection of religious and fundementalist dictatorship, remain among the most deeply religious populations in the world. The path to a secular, democratic Iran must begin from within this reality. It cannot succeed by rejecting it. Such change is most credible when led by a Muslim force that defends individual freedom and the separation of religion and state. This article is a direct response to a common claim: that Iranians have turned away from religion. Because of […] - [Tiered Internet in Iran: Class-Based Access and State Repression in the Digital Realm](https://freeiransn.com/tiered-internet-in-iran-class-based-access-and-state-repression-in-the-digital-realm/): Dr. Hossein Saiedian, Professor Computer Science, The University of Kansas Definition of Tiered Internet and Importance of the Issue “Tiered Internet” in Iran refers to a system that stratifies internet access based on political and class-based criteria, such as proximity to power, social status, or institutional affiliation. Unlike the digital divide in many countries, which is primarily rooted in economic or geographical factors, in Iran, this phenomenon is predominantly political, creating a structural discrimination between regime affiliates and ordinary citizens. Government officials, their associates, and wealthy regime supporters enjoy high-speed, unfiltered internet and free access to global platforms like Twitter, […] - [From Rally to Ruin: Diversionary Conflict and Regime Survival in the Islamic Republic of Iran](https://freeiransn.com/from-rally-to-ruin-diversionary-conflict-and-regime-survival-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/): An FISN Research Report by: By Professor Matthew Tasooji, Ph.D., California State University San Marcos — Scholar of Economics, Management, and Iranian Political Affairs July 29, 2025 Abstract This article explores the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recurring use of diversionary conflict as a strategy for regime survival during periods of internal crisis. By analyzing the eight-year Iran–Iraq War under Ayatollah Khomeini and the more recent 12-Day War (2024), the article assesses whether such military engagements still function as sustainable instruments of regime legitimacy or whether they now accelerate internal decay. Drawing on the diversionary theory of war and recent economic […] - [HIV: A Global Pandemic and the Critical Role of Resources With a Focus on Iran](https://freeiransn.com/hiv-a-global-pandemic-and-the-critical-role-of-resources-with-a-focus-on-iran-an-ifsn-research-report/): An FISN Research Report By: Ashraf Zadshir, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor; Scholar and Researcher on HIV/Hepatitis; 2006 California Woman of the Year.  Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Part 1: HIV as a Global Pandemic Global Overview HIV/AIDS remains one of the most enduring global pandemics. Over 39 million people are currently living with HIV worldwide. While enormous strides have been made in treatment and prevention through antiretroviral therapy (ART), PrEP, and public health campaigns, the pandemic continues. It persists especially in […] - [الهیات سیاسی سلطنت از پسرِ رَع تا ولی فقیه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b3%db%8c-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%b7%d9%86%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d9%be%d8%b3%d8%b1%d9%90-%d8%b1%d9%8e%d8%b9-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d9%88%d9%84%db%8c-%d9%81%d9%82/): دکتر عزیز فولادوند  11.03.2022 برابر با 20 اسفند 1400، آلمان “من داریوش هستم … شاه شاهان … نماینده اهورامزدا” “بخواست اهورا مزدا من شاه هستم. اهورا مزدا، شاهی را به من عطا فرمود”. “اهورا مزدا این شاهی را بمن بخشید. اهورا مزدا، مرا یاری کرد تا این شاهی را بدست آوردم”. آنچه من کردم، همه بخواست اهورا مزدا کردم” […] داریوش شاه می گوید: “آنچه شد، همه را به خواست اهورامزدا کردم. اهورامزدا مرا یاری کرد تا هنگامی که کار را کردم. اهورامزدا من و خاندان شاهی ام را و این کشور را از زیان دور بدارد.” نیاکان ما در […] - [Youth Culture in Iran: A Generation on the Move](https://freeiransn.com/youth-culture-in-iran-a-generation-on-the-move/): By Dr. Aziz Fooladvand, Sociologist and Scholar of Islamic Studies This is a translation of the original article in German. 7-20-2025 Iran’s younger generation is undergoing a radical transformation. This change is cultural, political, and social. Increasingly, it is turning its back on the authoritarian value system of the religious state and confidently forging its own path. In a country marked by repressive norms and a strict theocratic order, a youth is rising that seeks self-determination, freedom, and equality. This movement is not loud in the traditional sense. But it is brave, determined, and deeply transformative. Iranian youth, in the […] - [Significance of Invoking Snapback Mechanism on Iran](https://freeiransn.com/significance-of-invoking-snapback-mechanism-on-iran/): Dr. Sofey Saidi, (PhD, International Relations), Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations July 20, 2025 The UK, France & Germany (the “E3”), along with the EU’s foreign policy head, have given Iran until the end of August to reach a verifiable nuclear deal. If not, they plan to invoke the snap‑back mechanism, automatically reinstating all UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 JCPOA. French FM Jean‑Noël Barrot has reiterated this deadline and emphasized that, absent concrete commitments from Iran, sanctions on arms, finance, and nuclear technology would roll back by late August  There has been much emphasis placed on utilizing […] - [Water Bankrupt Iran: What is the solution? (An FISN Project)](https://freeiransn.com/water-bankrupt-iran-what-is-the-solution-an-fisn-project/): Note:  This report is a follow-up to a first report: Contribution of the Iran’s “Water Mafia” in Water Bankruptcy Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University Dr. Khalil Khani is an Environmental Specialist and a Human Rights activist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Botany, and Environmental Studies from Germany and has taught at the University of Tehran and the Hesse State University in Germany. He is also a Doctor of Medical Psychology from the United States. Water scarcity is a significant issue in Iran, which is regarded as one of the driest countries in the world. The water crisis […] - [Reza Pahlavi: Eine Alternative oder ein Hindernis für den Wandel](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-eine-alternative-oder-ein-hindernis-fur-den-wandel/): 2 Juli , 2025 Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Tehran University  Dr. Khalil Khani ist Umweltexperte und Menschenrechtsaktivist. Er promovierte in Ökologie, Botanik und Umweltwissenschaften in Deutschland und lehrte an der Universität Teheran und der Hessischen Landeshochschule. Er ist außerdem US-amerikanischer Doktor der Medizinischen Psychologie. Die Lage im Iran befindet sich an einem kritischen Wendepunkt. Die Unzufriedenheit in der Bevölkerung und der Widerstand nehmen zu. Das Regime ist schwächer als je zuvor und sieht sich mit einer existenziellen Bedrohung seiner eigenen Existenz konfrontiert. Inmitten dieses Aufruhrs präsentiert sich Reza Pahlavi, der Sohn des gestürzten Schahs, als selbsternannter Anführer […] - [How the IRGC’s Corruption and Monopolies Have Destroyed Iranian Industry](https://freeiransn.com/how-the-irgcs-corruption-and-monopolies-have-destroyed-iranian-industry/): By:  FISN Research Team Led by Dr. Hossein Jahansouz, Biochemist and a Leading Scientist and Industry Executive in the United States for Over Three Decades   July 2025 Picture: Siman Steel Industries in Siman, Iran 1. Abstract Iran’s industrial decline is often attributed to international sanctions and geopolitical isolation. However, the root cause lies within: the militarized economic domination of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Over the past three decades, the IRGC has evolved into an expansive economic empire, controlling vast segments of Iran’s oil, gas, construction, telecommunications, mining, banking, and heavy industry sectors. This monopolistic structure—fueled by political […] - [The Illusion of Hereditary Leadership: A Threat to the Iranian People’s Freedom Movement](https://freeiransn.com/the-illusion-of-hereditary-leadership-a-threat-to-the-iranian-peoples-freedom-movement/): By: Professor Hossein Saiedian 1  Introduction For over 45 years, the Iranian people have fought to achieve democracy, freedom, and liberation from the grip of tyranny—whether monarchical or theocratic. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last Shah, relying on the name and legacy of a former dictatorial regime, has presented himself as a leader of the Iranian people’s freedom-seeking struggles. Many of his current advisors are individuals with known connections to the current Iranian regime, which further discredits his claims. Farsi-language media, backed by the financial support of foreign governments whose interests conflict with those of the Iranian people, shamelessly […] - [Reza Pahlavi: An Alternative or an Obstacle to Change](https://freeiransn.com/reza-pahlavi-an-alternative-or-an-obstacle-to-change/): 2 July , 2025 Dr. Khalil Khani, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Tehran University  The situation in Iran is at a critical juncture. Popular discontent and resistance are on the rise. The regime is weaker than ever, facing an existential threat to its survival. Amid this turmoil, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, presents himself as the self-proclaimed leader of the opposition. His father’s 37-year rule was marked by an iron fist, rampant corruption, widespread torture, and executions. Direct Line of Communication with the Revolutionary Guards On 29 June 2025, Pahlavi announced the launch of a secure communication channel […] - [Iran Engulfed in Crisis:  Assessing the Potential for Change and the Third Option](https://freeiransn.com/iran-engulfed-in-crisis-assessing-the-potential-for-change-and-the-third-option/): Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, Author, Scholar Practitioner, and Cybersecurity Executive & Dr. Kazem Kazerounian, Professor and Scholar of Iranian Politics Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Introduction: The Regime’s Narrative and Rejection of Imposed Realities Against the backdrop of Iran’s current crisis—which has now assumed global dimensions—the future of Iran and the prospects for change have become topics of urgent debate. In response to the regime’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, its destructive regional meddling, sponsorship of terrorism, and, most importantly, it atrocious […] - [The Two Trillion Dollar Drain: Iran’s Military Spending Versus National Needs (1995 to 2024)](https://freeiransn.com/the-two-trillion-dollar-drain-irans-military-spending-versus-national-needs-1995-to-2024/): By Professor Matthew Tasooji, CSUSM, (An FISN Research Project) Note: FISN research reports and papers may be used freely with proper referencing and credit to the authors and the Free Iran Scholars Network. Over the past three decades, Iran is estimated to have spent approximately two trillion US dollars on military programs, weapons development, and projects related to weapons of mass destruction. This staggering figure represents not just a vast financial outlay, but a profound misallocation of national resources. It diverted wealth from critical priorities such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, and instead entrenched the regime’s control through […] - [The Andaryan Gold Mine: Environmental Devastation, Labor Exploitation, and Models for Democratic Mining Changes in Iran](https://freeiransn.com/the-andaryan-gold-mine-environmental-devastation-labor-exploitation-and-models-for-democratic-mining-changes-in-iran/): Dr. Reza Sami, Emeritus Professor, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines AbstractThe Andaryan gold mine in Varzaghan County, East Azerbaijan Province, epitomizes the environmental degradation and labor exploitation endemic in Iran’s mining sector under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This paper examines the mine’s historical and financial context, extraction methods, environmental and labor abuses, and the systemic corruption underpinning these practices. Drawing on international best practices, the paper argues that democratic governance and transparent oversight are essential to transforming Iran’s mining sector into a model of sustainability and social justice. It highlights the urgent need […] - [Handshakes Aren’t Peace: Why Washington Must Hold Iran Accountable](https://freeiransn.com/handshakes-arent-peace-why-washington-must-hold-iran-accountable/): By Professor Kazem Kazerounian, University of Connecticut Opinion Editorial published in Hartford Courant The headlines are currently dominated by President Trump’s whirlwind Middle East tour, making deals, and pronouncements that the U.S. and Iran have “sort of” agreed to terms on a nuclear deal, with talk of “very serious negotiations” for long-term peace. But amid state dinners and back-channel selfies, diplomatic photo-ops can feel intoxicating: negotiators sit down with Tehran—whether in Vienna, Doha, or via back-channel talks—headlines proclaim a “historic opportunity,” markets soar, and pundits treat the Islamic Republic like a conventional adversary. Once the cameras pack up, however, Iran’s brutality […] - [Iran’s Brain Drain Crisis: A Strategic Failure Beyond Economics](https://freeiransn.com/irans-brain-drain-crisis-a-strategic-failure-beyond-economics/): Author: Matthew TasoojiAffiliation: Professor, CSUSMKeywords: Iran, brain drain, migration, education, economic development, public policy, emigration Abstract While Iran’s persistent economic turmoil, rooted in mismanagement, corruption, and systemic opacity, is well-documented, a less visible yet profoundly damaging crisis is quietly eroding the nation’s potential from within: the large-scale emigration of its educated population. This “brain drain” is not only depleting the country’s intellectual capital but also severely hindering its long-term development, particularly in critical sectors like healthcare, education, and innovation. This paper explores the causes, consequences, and implications of Iran’s brain drain, situating it within the broader context of the Islamic […] - [Iran: The Tide Turning for Regime Change?](https://freeiransn.com/iran-the-tide-turning-for-regime-change/): By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh May 2025 Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated political scientist and alumnus. He holds a Ph.D. in Government and International Affairs, a Master’s degree in Global Politics, a Master’s degree Journalism, and a Master’s degree Linguistics. He also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Translation with a focus on English, Arabic, and Persian. Dr. Rafizadeh is fluent in Arabic, English, and Persian. He serves on the advisory board of the Harvard International Review, a publication of the Harvard International Relations Council at Harvard University. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu. Introduction The State of Affairs in Iran, […] - [اولین آیشمن ایران در دامگه حادثه](https://freeiransn.com/%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%84%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%a2%db%8c%d8%b4%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%85%da%af%d9%87-%d8%ad%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%ab%d9%87/):  شاید بیربط نباشد که «عالیجناب پرویز ثابتی» را بعنوان اولین آیشمن و رئیس «اس-اس» ایران در دوران پهلوی دانست. او به خاطر آخرین شغل و منصب خاصی که در این دوره بعنوان مقام ارشد امنیتی در ساواک شاه داشت و کارنامه سیاه و خونینی که در مقابله با جریانات مختلف اپوزیسیون ایران در دهه آخر حکومت، قبل از «سقوط ۵۷» داشت نامش همواره مترادف با خشونت و فردی مخوف بود  بیاد دارم وقتی در سال ۱۳۵۴ در حالیکه ۱۷ سال بیشتر سن نداشتم و دانشجوی سال اول دانشگاه بودم و هیچ گرایش و تجربه سیاسی هم نداشتم، میتوانستم فضای ترس و هراس غریبی […] - [Professors to Biden: Critical Shift on Iran Policy Needed for Regional Stability](https://freeiransn.com/professors-to-biden-critical-shift-on-iran-policy-needed-for-regional-stability/): FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE                                                                                        April 4, 2024 Professors to Biden: Critical Shift on Iran Policy Needed for Regional Stability In a demonstration of unity and purpose, hundreds of esteemed professors from universities across the United States have extended their 2022-2023 initiative, emphatically urging President Joe Biden to address the critical importance of formulating the correct policy towards Iran. This collective action underscores the escalating crisis in the Middle East since October 7th, which has dramatically exacerbated regional conflicts. The academicians’ letter to President Biden states, “We assert that the real power to sever the ‘heads of the snake’ in Tehran […] - [FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:](https://freeiransn.com/for-immediate-release-professors-condemn-iranian-regimes-ebrahim-raisis-attendance-at-the-un-gen/): Professors Condemn Iranian Regime’s Ebrahim Raisi’s Attendance at the UN General Assembly and Urge the U.S. Government to Deny His Visa Storrs, CT – September 15, 2023 – The Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN), a collective of academics and experts who support the Iranian people’s uprising for freedom and promote global unity among scholars, academicians, and professionals to establish a pluralistic, secular, democratic, prosperous and republic Iran, is adamantly  against the inclusion of Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Raisi’s presence at the UNGA contradicts and undermines the Iranian people’s fundamental right to freedom and […] - [Feb. 1st, 2023](https://freeiransn.com/feb-1st-2023/): Urgent Call to Action: The Free Iran Scholars Network Demands an End to Human Rights Violations Against Iranian University Students and Professors The Free Iran Scholars Network is deeply disturbed by the ongoing human rights violations against Iranian university students and professors. To protect the rights and well-being of the Iranian students and professors, we urgently call upon academic organizations and governments all over the world to take immediate and decisive action.   The recent arrest of at least 712 students and faculty members in Iran, with the actual number believed to be much higher, is a clear violation of their […] - [EVENTS](https://freeiransn.com/events/): The Network holds regular meetings for its membership at large, and its various working groups and committees. Additionally the Network holds public meetings and conferences (virtual and in person) that focuses on important and emerging issues in the ongoing movement for democracy in Iran.   These events will be broadly announced.  List of events: 9-12-2025 Pathways to A Free Iran: Academic Voices on Change and Accountability Panel of distinguished academics for an in-depth conversation on the future of Iran, exploring the role of a democratic alternative and the international community’s responsibility in supporting the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy. […] - [STATEMENTS](https://freeiransn.com/statements/): September 1, 2025 Reza Pahlavi at USC Casden Institute: An Insult to the Iranian People July 20, 2025 FISN Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General Honorable, António Guterres on Protecting Political Prisoners in Iran and Preventing a Repeat of the 1988 Massacre May. 22, 2025 FISN Congratulates Jafar Panahi on Cannes Victory and Honors His Stand for Freedom Feb. 15 4th, 2025 Free Iran Scholars Network (FISN) Open Letter on Tehran University Student Protests April 4th, 2024 Professors to Biden: Critical Shift on Iran Policy Needed for Regional Stability April 4th, 2024 Open Letter of Hundreds of US University Professors […] ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/freeiransn.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)