The Twilight of the Iranian Revolution – The New Yorker
One night last December, the chief resident physician at a hospital in the Iranian city of Gorgan was asked to consult on a baffling case: a patient was racked with a mysterious virus, which was advancing rapidly through his body. The doctor, who asked to be identified only as Azad, for fear of retribution by authorities, performed a CT scan and a series of chest X-rays, but the virus overwhelmed the patient before he could decide on a treatment. After reading reports from China, Azad determined that the cause of death was the coronavirus. Id never seen anything like it before, he told me.
More patients started coming in, first a few at a time, then in droves, many of them dying. When Azad and his colleagues alerted hospital officials that they were treating cases of the coronavirus, they were told to keep quiet. We were given special instructions not to release any statistics on infection and death rates, a second doctor told me. The medical staff was ordered not to wear masks or protective clothing. The aim was to prevent fear in the society, even if it meant high casualties among the medical staff, Azad said.
As the weeks went on, and the epidemic exploded in China, the Iranian media remained nearly silent. Two reporters who work at a news outlet in Tehran told me that they could see accounts of the virus on social media, but their editors made it clear they should not pursue them; nationwide parliamentary elections were scheduled for February 21st, and news about the virus could discourage voters. Everyone knows what stories can get you in trouble, one reporter told me. It was understood that anything that helped to lower turnout would be helping the counter-revolutionaries, and no one wanted to be accused of supporting foreign-based opposition groups.
Officials were also worried about relations with Chinaone of the few countries that has continued to buy Iranian oil since the imposition of American-backed sanctions. For weeks after the outbreak was reported in Wuhan, Irans Mahan Air continued direct flights there. Mahan is controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful security force that increasingly acts as a shadow government in Iran.
Two days before the election, on February 19th, the Iranian government finally announced that two citizens had died of the coronavirus. In the Tehran newsroom, bitter laughter broke out. We reported deaths before we even reported any infections, the reporter told me. But thats life in the Islamic Republic. By then, hundreds of sick patients were crowding the hospital in Gorgan. So many bodies piled up that a local cemetery hired a backhoe to dig graves. It was worse than treating soldiers on a battlefield, the second doctor said.
Soon, Iran became a global center of the coronavirus, with nearly seventy thousand reported cases and four thousand deaths. But the government maintained tight control over information; according to a leaked official document, the Revolutionary Guard ordered hospitals to hand over death tallies before releasing them to the public. We were burying three to four to five times as many people as the Ministry of Health was reporting, Azad said. We could have dealt with thiswe could have quarantined earlier, we could have taken precautions like the ones the Chinese did in Wuhanif we had not been kept in the dark. On February 24th, Iraj Harirchi, the deputy health minister, appeared at a press conference and denied covering up the scale of infections. He looked pale and flustered, and he repeatedly wiped sweat from his brow. The next day, he, too, tested positive.
In mid-March, the Washington Post published satellite photos of newly dug mass graves. A few weeks later, inmates rioted at prisons across the country, terrified that they were trapped with the virus, and guards opened fire, killing at least thirty-five. As the pandemic devastated an economy already weakened by sanctions, Iran asked the International Monetary Fund for an emergency loan of five billion dollars. It was the first time in nearly sixty years that the government had appealed to the I.M.F., which it has historically described as a tool of U.S. hegemony.
With the country spasming, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Irans theocratic system, suggested that the United States and its allies had deployed a biological weapon. Americans are being accused of creating this virus, he said, during a speech in March. There are enemies who are demons, and there are enemies who are humans, and they help one another. The intelligence services of many countries coperate with one another against us.
Even as Khamenei spoke, the virus was spreading to the highest levels of the regime, which is heavily populated by elderly men. At least fifty clerics and political figures were infected, and at least twenty died. The Supreme Leader was said to be closed off from most human contact, but his inner circle was still susceptible; two vice-presidents and three of his closest advisers fell ill. The virus, which seemed able to reach anyone, sharpened a sense of crisis among ordinary Iranians. Khamenei, who has led the country since 1989, is eighty years old and a prostate-cancer survivor, rumored to be in poor health. What will become of the country when he dies?
In February, I paid a clandestine visit to the home of a reformist leader in Tehran, who spent several years in prison but remains connected with like-minded officials in the regime. Concerned that he might be at risk by talking to me, I took a circuitous route to his apartment; midway through the trip, I got out of my taxi, walked to the next block, and hailed another.
My host told me that the country has reached a decisive phase. Public confidence in the theocratic systeminstalled after the Iranian Revolution, in 1979has collapsed. Soon after Khamenei took power, he promised Iranians that the revolution would lead the country on the path of material growth and progress. Instead, Irans ruling clerics have left the country economically hobbled and largely cut off from the rest of the world. The sanctions imposed by the United States in 2018, after President Trump abrogated the nuclear agreement between the two countries, have aggravated those failures and intensified the corruption of the governing lite. I would say eighty-five per cent of the population hates the current system, my host said. But the system is incapable of reforming itself.
Speculation about Khameneis longevity is rampant in the senior levels of government and the military. The struggle to succeed him has already begun, my host said. But Khamenei has spent decades placing loyalists throughout the countrys major institutions, building a system that serves and protects him. Khamenei is like the sun, and the solar system orbits around him, he told me. This is my worry: What happens when you take the sun out of the solar system? Chaos.
Before the revolution remade Iran, Khamenei was a young cleric in the city of Mashhad. He had grown up modestly, the son of a cleric; a slender man, he had a long, thin face adorned by large round glasses that gave him an owlish demeanor. He was a devotee of Persian poetry and literature, and also came to admire Tolstoy, Steinbeck, and especially Victor Hugo, whose Les Misrables he described as a miracle... a book of sociology, a book of history, a book of criticism, a divine book, a book of love and feeling. Khamenei was influenced by the radical Islamist thinkers of his time, particularly Sayyid Qutb, who extolled the use of violence against enemies of the religion. But, at family gatherings, he kept his harsher ideas to himself. He hugs people, he kisses the children, he talks very well with children, a relative who grew up with Khamenei told me. When he wears the political dress, thats when he becomes bad. Thats when he becomes aggressive.
As Khamenei was forming his views, the country was in tumult. In 1953, an American-backed coup had displaced Mohammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected Prime Minister. He was replaced by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, who dominated the country, with help from the U.S. and from a ruthless force of secret police. In the years that followed, an exiled ayatollah named Ruhollah Khomeini raised an increasingly fervid opposition, built around the idea that a state led by clerics, answerable only to God and set against Western notions of modernity, could lift up the country after decades of humiliation.
Continue reading here:
The Twilight of the Iranian Revolution - The New Yorker
- How Princeton got burned by its outreach to Iran - Semafor - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- How the Islamic revolution isolated Iran from the Muslim world - The Indian Express - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The nuclear fatwa that wasn'thow Iran sold the world a false narrative - Atlantic Council - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Opinion | Iran and Israel Werent Always Enemies - The New York Times - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran and the UN nuclear agency are still discussing how to implement a 2023 deal on inspections - The Associated Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Mohammad Rasoulof Is In An Undisclosed Location In Europe After Fleeing Iran Following Eight-Year Prison Sentence Ruling - Deadline - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Opinion | Why was Iran envoy Robert Malley suspended? A new theory emerges. - The Washington Post - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran says it will change nuclear doctrine and build bombs if existence threatened - The Times of Israel - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- How Iran Seeks to Exploit the Gaza War in Syrias Volatile East - Crisis Group - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Biden's Escalation Fears on Russia and Iran Have Dangerous Consequences - Foreign Policy - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- As China and Iran hunt for dissidents in the US, the FBI is racing to counter the threat - The Associated Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran's lawmaker makes big revelation: We have obtained nuclear weapons, but Details here | Mint - Mint - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- What Would a Re-elected Trump Do with Iran? - - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Killing the Iran nuclear deal was one of Trump's biggest failures - Responsible Statecraft - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Who Will Be Iran's Next Leader? Not Khamenei's Son Stimson Center - Stimson Center - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Killings of Women Surge in Iran: 23 Killed by Male Relatives - - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran Sentences Director Mohammad Rasoulof to 8 Years in Prison and Flogging Days Before His New Film Premieres ... - IndieWire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran: Women and Girls Facing Violent Crackdown - Amnesty International - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Opinion | Iran attacked Israel with missiles and drones in April. Heres what the Pentagon should do now. - The Washington Post - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- FBI warns of efforts by China, Russia, Iran to influence election - The Hill - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Seven Crewmembers from Seized MSC Aries Depart Iran - The Maritime Executive - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran's authority result of resistance, advances in endless wars: IRGC chief - Press TV - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- IAEA Still Discussing Implementation of Failed 2023 Agreement With Iran - - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Iran, India move forward with port deal in face of US sanctions - The Cradle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- From Iran to California, this professor protests for human rights but at what cost? - The Guardian - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Netanyahu says Israel ready for direct attack from Iran, will respond in kind - The Times of Israel - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Report: Iran begins attack on Israel, launching dozens of drones that'll take hours to arrive - The Times of Israel - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Biden cuts short weekend trip as Iran launches attack on Israel - POLITICO - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Airspace closures throughout the Middle East ground, divert flights as Iran launches drone attack on Israel - CNBC - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Iran's drones and how they are used to threaten the Middle East, globe - The Jerusalem Post - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Iran's attack on Israel: What drones and missiles will Tehran use in its strikes? - Fox News - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Israel-Iran War Fears Suddenly Spark $500 Billion Bitcoin And Crypto Price CrashHitting Ethereum, BNB, XRP ... - Forbes - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- VOA News On Iran - Voice of America - Voice of America - VOA News - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Alfonso Chardy, journalist who helped expose Iran-contra affair, dies at 72 - The Washington Post - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Niger ordered US troops to leave after Biden officials warned about ties to Russia, Iran: Pentagon - The Hill - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Niger Termination of U.S. Military Ties Followed Accusation of Iran Uranium Deal - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Proxy Attacks and Cease-Fire - The New York Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran Fears Loss Of Clout In The Caucasus - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran, China quick to congratulate Putin on election win as others reject vote - The Times of Israel - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Niger Ends US Alliance Amid Accusations Of Uranium Deal With Iran - - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Nobel Winner Urges World to Browbeat Iran Over Rights Abuses - Voice of America - VOA News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- G7 issues stern warning to Iran over possible missile shipments to Russia - POLITICO - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- U.S. and Allies Warn Iran Not to Send Missiles to Russia - The New York Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Israel Underestimated Hamas. It Cannot Make the Same Mistake With Iran - Opinion - Haaretz - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- What's behind Iran's $13B investment in domestic oil industry? - Al-Monitor - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran remains the most destabilizing influence in the Middle East - JNS.org - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran reportedly pushed US to broker Gaza ceasefire during secret talks in Oman - The Times of Israel - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Netanyahu: Defeating Hamas would be 'stinging blow to Iran' - JNS.org - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- U.S. expands mission to stop Iran's arms smuggling to Yemen - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran: A coalition of organisations urges the UN human rights body to - World Organisation Against Torture - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- OHCHR / IRAN FACT FINDING MISSION | UNifeed - UN Web TV - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, others shower Russia's Putin with congratulatory messages - Al-Monitor - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Why the Red Sea matters to Iran - The Cradle - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- China, Russia, Iran naval drills challenge US domination of the seas - Peoples Dispatch - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran at the crossroads: have the mullahs lost their grip? - The Week - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran Arrests Four Over Video of Woman's Argument With Cleric - Voice of America - VOA News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran, Russia and China show off their ships in a joint naval drill in the Gulf of Oman - The Associated Press - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- How to Prevent a Nuclear Crisis with Iran Stimson Center - Stimson Center - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Raisi strengthened by elections but Iran's political system weakened - Arab News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- US frees up billions in sanctions relief to Iran as Tehran proxies wreak havoc in region - Fox News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Netanyahu Calls For International Pressure To Be Redirected To Hamas, Iran - I24NEWS - i24NEWS - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- 4,000-year-old lipstick discovered in Iran believed to be the world's oldest: Study - ABC News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran using European ports to hide weapons shipments to Hezbollah report - The Times of Israel - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran to push for better AI in the country - The Jerusalem Post - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Iran Reduces Near-Weapons-Grade Stockpile, Defying Expectations - The Wall Street Journal - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- After U.S. Strikes, Iran's Proxies Scale Back Attacks on American Bases - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Houthi attacks on ships give rebels, Iran naval combat intel: war experts - Business Insider - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Despite elections, Iran will remain the same - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- The United States needs a new Iran policyand it involves regime change, but not the traditional kind - Atlantic Council - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Iran starts first election campaign since the 2022 mass protests over Mahsa Amini's death in custody - The Associated Press - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Iran has the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. Now it's sending them to Russia - CNBC - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- IAEA increasingly concerned over Iran's nuclear weapon capability - The Times of Israel - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- How to avoid nuclear escalation as a confident Iran and insecure Israel square off - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Iran created a Frankensteins monster in the Middle East - The Hill - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Iran's uranium stock enriched to 60% shrinks but problems fester -IAEA papers - The Jerusalem Post - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Man Extradited to U.S. in Suspected Iranian Plot to Kill Activist - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Iran dismisses plan by U.N. nuclear watchdog head to visit next month - Reuters - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Hungarian foreign minister visiting Iran for trade negotiations "forgot" that Tehran supplies Russia with weapons - Yahoo News - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Japanese yakuza accused of trying to sell uranium, plutonium to Iran - The Washington Post - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- 4 charged in transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons on boat intercepted by U.S. - NPR - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]