The people of Iran need democracy |
Democracy as a form of governance is viewed as ‘the norm’, in the western world. Our ability to speak freely without persecution and practice religion as we wish is something many individuals take for granted. When, like we have seen in Iran in recent months, people are forced to fight and die for these basic rights, we should be all the more appreciative of our privilege.
Iran is currently an authoritarian theocracy, with ultimate power being concentrated under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Under this regime, the rights of individuals are suppressed, with freedom of the press restricted, freedom of speech, and capital punishment used as a tool to impose fear amongst Iranians, and quash political dissidents. As pressure continues to mount on the Islamic Republic, the real question is not whether or not it can fall, but rather, what happens next .
History has shown that the fall of a regime does not necessarily produce democracy. In Egypt, for example, following the coup against Mohammed Morsi, the Egyptian military had overwhelming power within Egypt. Where, despite initially a democratic transition occurring with competitive elections, there is an absence of democracy today, with the military still exercising significant control.
This also happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yes, there were elections, a shift towards globalisation, and an immediate liberalisation of the press. But contemporary Russia is an authoritarian state where political opponents of the regime, like the late Alexei Navalny, are jailed or murdered.
In the first 10 months of 2025, 1,000 individuals were executed by the Iranian regime. State killings, detentions and repression have become the go-to tools of the regime to crush dissent and prevent the international community from learning the true scale of its crimes against the Iranian people. The recent internet blackout imposed is more of the same.
Should this persecution stop, and the Iranian regime were to collapse, whether through action from the U.S. or a coup from below, the Iranian people must ensure that democracy prevails, and democratic regression does not occur.
Iran must have a transitional authority, one that is widely accepted by the people. This would prevent a recreation of the situation in Egypt, where very quickly trust was strained. If any form of regime bureaucracy remains, a power vacuum is very likely to form in parts of the system.
This transitional body must enact a timeline to permanence. It is essential that this includes elections, to let the people decide who is in charge of them, rather than through a set of elites, and allow the consolidation of democracy to occur. For many, this leader is exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, of the Pahlavi Dynasty, who has offered to lead a transitional government, yet is unclear about whether or not he would serve in the long term.
The leader must then work tirelessly to ensure that democratic processes ensue. In particular, there must be freedom of press. The Islamic Republic regime has significant control over content, censoring individuals in their plight for information. This is similar in Russia, who rank 171/180 in the world press freedom index. In Iran, freedom of information must come to the fore, and should the regime collapse, work to gain affection from the people democratically, and not through the organs of the state.
The Iranian people are closer than ever to reclaiming their freedoms and autonomy. Yet, this is merely half the battle. The true battle begins after power has collapsed. Iran must follow democratic protocol, and not follow other nations who have turned away from democracy, betraying the people, at the time where it was most obtainable.