Iran in the Wake of Mahsa Amini’s Death

Demonstrations and violence in Iran have continued for the last three months. After Mahsa Amini’s death, the protests against the compulsory headscarf rule soon turned into demonstrations in which Sunni groups, especially the Kurds and the Balochs, came to the fore. This situation has led to a high number of deaths. The demonstrations in the capital Tehran, mostly supported by the middle-upper class, did not receive great support despite the discomfort of the broad masses. Instead, they turned into protests by university students, generally led by elite segments such as artists and athletes. When the Persian media and opposition activists abroad came to the fore, the reformist segment in the country was largely silent. Different political groups turned the events into a power-sharing ground for post-Khamenei politics. However, the fact that the events have entered their third month and the state has not yet resorted to its traditional iron-fist method raises questions. In the same period, the tension in Iran’s relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Republic of Azerbaijan reveals the transitivity and interaction between domestic and foreign policies.