Dear Friends and Comrades,

As the US and Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth month, the bombast and intensity of its initial waves have given way to a war of attrition over the status of the Strait of Hormuz with far-reaching effects on the global economy, on the one hand, and Israel’s aggressively expanded campaign to occupy southern Lebanon, on the other. What has faded from global attention, even as the internet has returned for most Iranians, is the popular politics, protests and massive mobilization of ordinary Iranians that preceded the war and will shape the country’s future. 

Today we are sharing a new article, "Rethinking Political Change in Iran from Protest to War" by Mohammad Ali Kadivar, a sociologist and former MERIP editor who has closely followed protest movements in Iran. Kadivar examines one of the central arguments for the war forwarded by the Trump administration and supported by some Iranian diaspora groups: that decades of popular mobilization in opposition to the regime and its policies have all failed and only outside intervention can bring stronger democracy to the Iranian people. Contrary to this short-term thinking, Kadivar argues that repeated and successive waves of protest by myriad groups within Iran have “reshaped social norms, altered political calculations and expanded the terrain on which future struggles unfold.” The current war may be altering the trajectory of popular politics in Iran, but a post-war reckoning with both the regime’s repressive tactics and the imperialist assault on the country is not a distant concern. 

In addition to this article, MERIP is also pleased to announce a new series of online events this summer–“Iran in Context”–in collaboration with the British Society for Middle East Studies (BRISMES) and the Italian Association of Middle East Studies (SeSaMO). This series will include conversations with leading scholars on Iran that will explain the deeper context behind the current war. The first conversation, on “Gender and Revolution,” will take place on June 18, 2026 at 10AM EST and feature Manijeh Moradian and Nazanin Shahrokni . You can read more about the event below and register on BRISMES’ website. 

Lastly, I want to thank those of you who were able to make a donation during our Delco Gives fundraiser, which concluded one month ago. We raised over $17,000 from more than 120 individual donors during that campaign and are expecting several thousand more in bonus funds from the Foundation for Delaware County. It’s truly a testament to the dedication of our readers without whom we would simply not exist. Thank you! 

In Solidarity,

James Ryan
Executive Director

EVENT: Iran in Context Part I: Gender and Revolution

For summer 2026, MERIP will be hosting a multi-part event series, “Iran in Context,” in collaboration with BRISMES and SeSaMO. This series will feature leading experts on Iran in conversation with MERIP's executive director, James Ryan, MERIP editorial committee member and BRISMES board member Sabiha Allouche and SeSaMO secretary Paola Rivetti.

The first event in this series features Manijeh Moradian (Barnard College) and Nazanin Shahrokni (Simon Fraser University) and will examine the role of women beginning with the gendered politics of the 1979 revolution in Iran up to the present. The discussion will explore the long-term consequences of women's political mobilization in key historical moments: from the 1970s, through the Iran-Iraq war, the reform period and more recent movements. For more information and to register visit the BRISMES site below.