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Iron Voices: How Tehran’s Theocracy Silences Dissent with Propaganda and Repression
People light a fire during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic’s “morality police,” in Tehran, Iran, September 21, 2022. Photo: WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS.
Iran is in a perilous downward spiral. Gross mismanagement has led the country into deadlock, and the government’s destructive and absolute acceleration into radicalism threatens Iran’s very existence.
Despite the severity of the situation, neither Iranian society nor the world fully grasps the disaster’s depth. Since the revolution of 1979, the regime has acted as both exploiter and occupier. The oppressive political system continually repeats its mistakes without any intention of correction.
The dreams of the Iranian nation and its governance are misaligned. The Tehran government, with its unchecked power and immense wealth, fails to recognize the identity of the Iranian nation, which deeply resents this governance. This tension will continue until the regime falls.
Iran is governed by an outlaw regime that rejects rational dialogue, opting instead for repression through violence. Acting like an unyielding horseman, the government lashes out with clubs and whips, or shoots bullets at citizens.
For 45 years, the military governance has operated like a mafia, continuing its repression while the regime’s propaganda machinery works overtime. All propaganda tools serve to bolster the regime’s authority. All platforms are under the regime’s control, which still seeks to consolidate its power.
Iran’s governance is backward, incapable, and fraught with countless deficiencies relative to the potential of its people. The government holds no esteem among Iranians, and is isolated internationally. The regime knows that it has no national standing, especially among the younger generation.
The barrier between the governance and the nation is not just the outdated, bankrupt, and Khomeinist ideology. A governance that tramples on the nation’s interests denies the interests of everyone but itself. There is no unity in society; everything is damaged and cracked. The regime, alienated and unpopular among Iranians, has no legitimacy. The government’s discourse has also failed.
With irrelevant language and logic, the regime demands societal submission, viewing itself as the guardian of all, even grandiosely claiming to lead the Muslims of the world. How can one reason with a ruler who only understands the language of force? Society cannot breathe freely.
The government recognizes voting, civil rights, and freedom of speech only for its supporters and inner circle. The governance cannot tolerate dissenting voices or differing opinions. It is closed, dark, unwise, and irrational.
Intellectualism in Iran faces terror, imprisonment, and deprivation. The regime neither desires nor understands anything beyond itself. A populist, repressive governance conflicts with a protesting, suppressed society. There is no understanding or dialogue — only interrogations, revolutionary courts, and threats from security institutions. No one in Iranian society is safe from arrest and suppression.
The current regime in Iran is a symbol of absolute evil. Peaceful coexistence with this savage governance is impossible. The regime does not recognize the people of Iran as a nation, but sees them as the Islamic Ummah. Iran, to the regime, is like war spoils. The regime’s narrow-minded politics and literature are contrary to Iranian society and nation. It is a failed system that contradicts freedom and law. It continuously suppresses but lacks authority.
The poor, suppressed, and deprived society of Iran feels deep dissatisfaction and public hatred towards the regime. After 1979, people lost their national pride and identity to the mullahs, leading to deadlock, downfall, and decay.
A governance that relies on whips and bullets is a savage oppressor ready to commit any crime to preserve its irrational, reality-averse rule. The mullahs’ claims of religiosity and heavenly status are displays of superstition and delusion for political and religious fraud. Iranian society has moved beyond religion, but the regime calls the terrorist uproar of 1979 a revolution — a display of Khomeini’s savagery.
A few harsh and oppressive individuals are ready to sacrifice all of Iran for their invalid beliefs. The current religious despotism expects the entire society to respect Khomeini’s terrorist uproar, and to exhibit absolute obedience. The Guardianship structure embodies despotism, delusion, ignorance, and superstition.
Institutionalizing democracy in Iran is a long, rocky road. A dangerous outlook awaits the Iranian nation. The regime is in decline, and soon, similar to economic and cultural collapse, social and ethical collapse may occur, uncontrollably.
The mullah system has historically been full of power-seeking, deception, lies, propaganda, corruption, terror, and suppression. Change with the current regime in power is impossible. The Tehran regime uses internal suppression and external aggression. Terrorist institutions like the Ministry of Intelligence, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the police force, the Quds Force, and other proxy groups will continue their work as long as the regime is in power. The death of any regime figure will not change the system.
Predicting Iran’s future is challenging, especially with upcoming elections. There will be no enthusiasm or competition. The Guardian Council, under Khamenei’s supervision, will limit candidate approvals to a few radical loyalists. The government aims to continue harsh conditions and seeks someone like deceased president Raisi. Dangerous times for Iran — and the world — are ahead.
Erfan Fard is a counterterrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, DC. Twitter@EQFARD.
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Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide
Chef and head of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake.
Renowned Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder José Andrés called the Oct. 7 attack “horrendous” in an interview Wednesday and shared his hopes for reconciliation between the “vast majority” on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who are “good people that very often are not served well by their leaders”
WCK is a US-based, nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals to people in conflict zones around the world. The charity has been actively serving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. Since the Hamas attack, WCK has served more than 133 million meals across Gaza, according to its website.
The restaurateur and humanitarian has been quoted saying in past interviews that “sometimes very big problems have very simple solutions.” On Wednesday’s episode of the Wall Street Journal podcast “Bold Names,” he was asked to elaborate on that thought. He responded by saying he believes good meals and good leaders can help resolve issues between Israelis and Palestinians, who, he believes, genuinely want to live harmoniously with each other.
“I had people in Gaza, mothers, women making bread,” he said. “Moments that you had of closeness they were telling you: ‘What Hamas did was wrong. I wouldn’t [want] anybody to do this to my children.’ And I had Israelis that even lost family members. They say, ‘I would love to go to Gaza to be next to the people to show them that we respect them …’ And this to me is very fascinating because it’s the reality.
“Maybe some people call me naive. [But] the vast majority of the people are good people that very often are not served well by their leaders. And the simple reality of recognizing that many truths can be true at the same time in the same phrase that what happened on October 7th was horrendous and was never supposed to happen. And that’s why World Central Kitchen was there next to the people in Israel feeding in the kibbutz from day one, and at the same time that I defended obviously the right of Israel to defend itself and to try to bring back the hostages. Equally, what is happening in Gaza is not supposed to be happening either.”
Andres noted that he supports Israel’s efforts to target Hamas terrorists but then seemingly accused Israel of “continuously” targeting children and civilians during its military operations against the terror group.
“We need leaders that believe in that, that believe in longer tables,” he concluded. “It’s so simple to invest in peace … It’s so simple to do good. It’s so simple to invest in a better tomorrow. Food is a solution to many of the issues we’re facing. Let’s hope that … one day in the Middle East it’ll be people just celebrating the cultures that sometimes if you look at what they eat, they seem all to eat exactly the same.”
In 2024, WCK fired at least 62 of its staff members in Gaza after Israel said they had ties to terrorist groups. In one case, Israel discovered that a WCK employee named Ahed Azmi Qdeih took part in the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Qdeih was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in November 2024.
In April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces received backlash for carrying out airstrikes on a WCK vehicle convoy which killed seven of the charity’s employees. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the airstrikes were “a mistake that followed a misidentification,” and Israel dismissed two senior officers as a result of the mishandled military operation.
The strikes “were not just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war,” Andrés alleged.
“It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by” the Israeli military, he claimed in an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “It was also the direct result of [the Israeli] government’s policy to squeeze humanitarian aid to desperate levels.”
In a statement on X, Andres accused Israel of “indiscriminate killing,” saying the Jewish state “needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
The post Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas to Release 10 Israeli Hostages as US-Backed Ceasefire Talks Gain Momentum
People watch a screen on the day Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who was kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Alexander’s hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, US, May 12, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Hamas said it would release 10 Israeli hostages in an effort to reach a ceasefire deal, as growing international pressure mounts on the Palestinian terrorist group to end the 21-month war in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement Wednesday, the Iran-backed terror group said negotiations with Israel had been difficult but reaffirmed its commitment to the talks, while offering no timeline for the hostages’ release.
Hamas “continues its intensive and responsible efforts to ensure the success of the ongoing round of negotiations, striving to reach a comprehensive agreement that ends the aggression against our people, secures the free and safe entry of humanitarian aid, and alleviates the worsening suffering in the Gaza Strip,” the statement reads.
“In its commitment to the success of the current efforts, the movement has shown the necessary flexibility and agreed to release 10 prisoners,” the Palestinian terror group said.
Among the remaining 50 hostages still held in the war-torn enclave, fewer than half are believed to be alive, with 28 reported dead.
Hamas’ latest announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump in Washington this week to advance ceasefire efforts focused on securing the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The US ceasefire plan proposed by Trump sets a 60-day timeline to finalize the details leading to a full resolution of the conflict.
Even though Trump hasn’t provided details on the proposed truce, he said Washington would “work with all parties to end the war” during the 60-day period.
“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote in a social media post last week.
Since the start of the war, ceasefire talks between Jerusalem and Hamas have repeatedly failed to yield enduring results.
Israeli officials have previously said they will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile — a demand the terror group has firmly rejected.
For its part, Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
On Wednesday, Trump expressed optimism that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be reached soon, potentially as early as this or next week. However, he also stressed that no agreement is guaranteed yet.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed similar optimism, saying he believes “we’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while” to securing a ceasefire. He also noted that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is hopeful that indirect negotiations will take place soon.
According to media reports, the proposed 60-day ceasefire would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, with US and mediator assurances on advancing talks to end the war.
For Israel, the key to any deal is the release of most, if not all, hostages still held in Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas. The terror group, meanwhile, is seeking assurances to end the war as it tries to reassert control over the war-torn enclave.
In earlier efforts, a ceasefire that ended in March brought roughly two months of relative calm and led to the release of 33 hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
After the first phase ended, however, the two sides failed to agree on terms for a second phase, leading Hamas to halt further hostage releases and prompting a resumption of Israeli military action.
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Jeffries, House Dem Leaders Demand GOP Rep. Randy Fine Apologize For Calling Ilhan Omar a ‘Terrorist’
Florida Republican State Sen. Randy Fine. Photo: Reuters
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sharply rebuked Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) for what he called “bigoted and disgusting” rhetoric directed at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), joining a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups denouncing Fine’s remarks as overtly Islamophobic.
In a post on X earlier this week, Fine referred to Omar as a “Muslim terrorist,” adding, “The only shame is that you serve in Congress.” The comment came in response to Omar’s criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent address to Congress, which she called “shameful.”
Jeffries, joined by Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, issued a joint statement rejecting Fine’s language as “unhinged, racist, and Islamophobic.” The House Democratic leaders urged him to apologize, saying, “These vile comments have no place in our political discourse.”
Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, thanked her colleagues for standing in solidarity. She called on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) to hold Fine accountable.
“Not only does normalizing this bigotry and violence endanger my life but all Muslims including in Fine’s own district,” Omar posted to her X account. “This type of Islamophobic language demands accountability.”
Fine has not apologized and instead doubled down on his attacks. In a follow-up post, he derided Democratic leadership as the “Hamas Caucus” and responded to backlash with, “Boo hoo.” Speaking to CNN, Fine dismissed criticism of his remarks as “ad hominem attacks” and claimed Democrats were more upset at his tone than at Omar’s earlier comments about Netanyahu, whom she referred to as a war criminal.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has renewed its call for Fine to face formal censure, citing a long record of inflammatory remarks about Muslims and Palestinians. In past social media posts, Fine has suggested deportations and called Palestinians “barbarians,” fueling accusations that his rhetoric goes beyond political disagreement and into outright hate speech.
The controversy arrives amid growing national scrutiny over the rise of incendiary language in politics, particularly as tensions continue to flare over US policy in the Middle East. With calls for accountability mounting, Democratic leaders say Congress must draw a clear line against hate, especially from within its own ranks.
The post Jeffries, House Dem Leaders Demand GOP Rep. Randy Fine Apologize For Calling Ilhan Omar a ‘Terrorist’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.