Domestic Resistance Grows in Iran Despite Surge in Executions

Recent acts of public defiance in Iran have exposed deep internal divisions, challenging the government's claim of a unified population. Despite a sharp increase in executions aimed at suppressing dissent, citizens continue to openly challenge the authorities. This domestic resistance suggests that the greatest threat to the regime comes from its own people rather than external military forces.

In late July, the government carried out its first public executions since 2022 in the central city of Isfahan. Although a crowd attempted to block the gallows, security forces eventually dispersed the protesters and hanged two young men. Bahar Ghandehari of the Center for Human Rights in Iran warned that recent quiet does not mean citizens have reconciled with their rulers.

A June survey by a Netherlands-based research group that measures public attitudes in Iran revealed the scale of this domestic discontent. According to the poll, 71% of Iranians are dissatisfied with the current government, and 59% oppose the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Additionally, the study indicated that a quarter of the population participated in the massive protests last January, which resulted in thousands of deaths.

Analysts suggest that unless economic conditions improve and social restrictions are eased, large-scale unrest will inevitably return. The ongoing protests by retirees over poor living standards further demonstrate this persistent anger. In a joint statement, three political prisoners declared that no government can achieve security through "the accumulation of corpses and a fear production line."