Iran in Crisis: Protest, Suppression, and Paths Forward

The flag of Iran, painted on a cracked, textured wall. It features horizontal stripes of green, white, and red, with the red national emblem on the white stripe and Kufic script along the borders. A prominent crack runs across the flag.

As of December 2025, Iran has faced unprecedented protests fueled by economic pressure, political repression and deepening social frustration. Authorities have responded by killing thousands of protesters; mass arrests and expanded, repressive measures have followed, escalating domestic tensions and drawing international scrutiny. This flash panel will explore the roots and current trajectory of Iran’s unrest, assess the regime’s response, and examine U.S. policy options and regional dynamics shaping Iran’s political outlook.

Speakers/Panelists:

Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan, Jr. director, Kroc Institute; professor of History and Peace Studies -- Moderator
Atefeh Esmaeili, Ph.D. student, Medieval Institute
Perin Gürel, associate professor, Department of American Studies
Vahid Jadidi, Ph.D. student, Department of Sociology
George A. Lopez, professor emeritus of Peace Studies
Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, Dorothy G. Griffin College professor of English, College of Arts and Letters, Department of English

Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

Professors Perin Gürel and Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi are current faculty fellows, while George Lopez is an emeritus faculty fellow of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs.