Politics

Jul 23, 2026 Pegah Banihashemi

Embedded in the Islamic Republic’s foundations is a doctrine that allows for total repression of the population and mobilization of all state resources to preserve the system. This helps to explain why the US and Israel were wrong to expect the regime to change its behavior, let alone be brought down by the Iranian people.

CHICAGO—As the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the opening wave of US-Israeli airstrikes in February, drew to a close, thunderous sounds of bombardment rose from Iran’s south. But through the funeral rites and renewed airstrikes alike, one state institution never broke its stride: the gallows. Protesters recently seized in the streets and political prisoners held for years are being executed at a rapid rate.