Feministçerçeve: We know that there is a strong tradition in Iran built through street protests. In recent weeks, we have seen demonstrations spread to almost the entire country. However, due to internet shutdowns and intense censorship, the information reaching the outside world is quite limited. First of all, we would like to hear from you: what does the current situation in Iran look like? What has happened in recent weeks?

Osyan: The protests were ignited by a sharp rise in the price of the dollar, which led to increased poverty and economic collapse across Iranian society. They began with strikes and demonstrations in the Bazaar (markets) and soon spread to universities, the streets of Tehran, and many other large and small towns. Very quickly, the protests revealed their political character, targeting the entire Islamic regime with chants such as “Down with the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei.”

The demonstrations grew wider every day and night until Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed king, called on protesters and promised support from abroad. At the same time, Trump issued threats of attacks on Iran, and Mossad claimed that “we are on the ground.” At this point, the protests reached their peak, and the Islamic Republic’s suppression forces confronted them with full force, as if their very existence depended on killing everyone in the streets without mercy. 

The internet was shut down, and the streets turned into a bloodbath. The exact death toll is still unknown, but the most recent estimates suggest that more than 30,000 people were killed in just 48 hours. At present, people in Iran remain under an internet blackout. Cities are effectively under military rule, with curfews starting at 6 or 8 p.m. Many are in shock or grieving the loss of their loved ones, and everywhere there is the lingering smell of bullets and blood in the air. 

Feministçerçeve: One of the main reasons behind the recent wave of protests appears to be the deepening economic crisis. The sharp depreciation of Iran’s currency against foreign currencies, rising living costs, and widespread impoverishment are affecting society in multiple ways. How are women being impacted by this economic collapse? What kinds of consequences does it have in daily life, labor processes, and care burdens?

Osyan: Women in Iran were already carrying the heavy burden of economic pressure due to unemployment and superexploitation. In 2025, the economic participation rate of women in Iran is reported to be around 13.1 to 14 percent—approximately one-fifth of that of men. Even men in Iran struggle to make a living, which means the situation is several times worse for women. 

Nearly 72 percent of unemployed women in Iran have a university education. This shows that despite being highly educated and seeking financial independence, women face systematic exclusion from the labor market and are pushed into unpaid domestic labor. The larger share of unemployed women works in the service sector, accounting for 61.3 percent of female employment—a sector that is underpaid and increasingly characterized by unstable and insecure contracts. 

As a result, many women have no choice but to create small online businesses within the informal economy in order to barely survive. The deepening economic crisis will inevitably push many more women below the poverty line. Women had a noticeable presence in the current uprising because they recognize that this crisis directly affects them and that their lives are on the brink of collapse.

We would also like to emphasize that this economic crisis is not caused solely by “sanctions.” Rather, it is the result of the functioning of a dependent capitalist state—such as the Islamic Republic—which transfers the tensions of capitalist crises onto local society with intensified force and so, has no other way of existing through shrinking the people’s livelihood and increasing their exploitation.

Feministçerçeve: On the other hand, it is known that thousands of people have lost their lives due to state violence during the protests, and many others are facing death sentences. Some reports reflected in the international media have claimed the international interventions have halted or reduced this violence. Is there any observable change in the government’s approach toward the protests?

Osyan: This claim is completely contrary to reality. While foreign powers (the USA and Israel) took advantage of the protests to advance their own interests and agendas, the Islamic Republic also exploited allegations of foreign interference to fully carry out its plan to massacre dissidents using military weapons, under the pretext of the “continuation of a 12-day war with Israel.” Not only was the violence not reduced—it intensified drastically.

On the one hand, the lives of those who were fighting for freedom were treated as worthless by the government: bodies were piled on top of one another, families were forced to pay money to receive the remains of their loved ones, and execution shots were delivered to those who were wounded.

On the other hand, these deaths were humiliated and dismissed—by Trump, who claimed they were “just stepped on in the crowd,” and by Pahlavi, who described them as “collateral damage of a war.” 

At present, we are deeply concerned for the lives of thousands of detainees, most of whom are under the age of 25. They are being subjected to torture, forced confessions, fabricated charges, severe sentences, and the constant threat of execution. While Trump boasts about having “saved” more than 800 people from execution, we know that the lives of our people cannot be protected through the deals or wars of these monsters, as they place no value on human life and operate within a system designed to destroy it. 

Feministçerçeve: Where do women stand in these protests today? With what demands and in what ways are they taking to the streets and participating in the struggle? What do you think this process means for the women’s movement in Iran?

Osyan: In recent years—especially after the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising—women have been highly active in everyday acts of resistance and civil disobedience. In the current uprising, they have once again been active, bold, and courageous. However, as patriarchal, fascist, and reactionary forces aligned with Pahlavi grew louder and attempted to co-opt the uprising, many women and progressive forces became increasingly alienated. Their demands for freedom and equality were gradually erased from the struggle.

Outside Iran, these same forces have attacked anyone who disagrees with them, using sexist and patriarchal language and even threatening those who chant “Woman, Life, Freedom.” 

This moment is therefore a critical turning point for the women’s movement in Iran, as the future of women—and of society as a whole—is being shaped. If we retreat and accept such an alternative to the Islamic Republic, women will face even harsher repression in the future.

We must stand firm and oppose any form of patriarchal order that seeks to seize power through foreign intervention, bombs, and the violent silencing of opponents. No society can be free unless women are free. Clearly, this faction of the opposition cares nothing about women’s liberation—just like its allies, Netanyahu and Trump.

Feministçerçeve: Finally, what would you like to say to feminists living in Turkey and other countries who wish to stand in solidarity with the women’s struggle in Iran? How can we offer meaningful support to the struggle of the Iranian people?

Osyan: We urge everyone not to accept this “media coup” that presents monarchists as the main—and only—solution for Iran’s future. Please help amplify our voices: an independent voice that is not backed by any power in the world, a voice against the Islamic Republic, against war, and against fascism.

We ask everyone not to believe the regime’s narrative that reduces the just struggles of the people of Iran to Mossad operations. Stand with the people of Iran despite the maneuvering and games of competing geopolitical powers.

Turkey will play an important role in the coming changes in the region. As Erdoğan prepares to exploit the collapse of the Islamic Republic for his own interests, people must be ready to organize and struggle against their governments and against their governments’ alliances with our oppressors.

To everyone around the world: please do not allow your governments to use us and our struggle as bargaining chips in geopolitical games or to interfere in our fight for freedom. The more you advance your own struggles for freedom, the more you strengthen ours. Stand with us against any war drive or imposed imperialist agenda in Iran.

Hands off Iran! Down with the Islamic Republic!