Iran’s Heightened Fears of MEK Dissidents Are a Sign of Changing Times

Iran has been the center of international attention in 2018. In light of unprecedented, continuous protests and strikes at home, a faltering economy, growing regional and international isolation, and the imposition of massive US sanctions, there are growing signs that the status quo has become untenable and the regime is finding it much more difficult to contain the situation. The theocratic regime’s new onslaught against its opponents, most notably against the principal opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran or Mujahedin-e-Khalq (PMOI/MEK), is a serious indicator of changing times in Iran. In addition to domestic repression, the multi-faceted campaign against the MEK entails terror plots in the West and massive disinformation and demonization in the media and on the Internet.

Continuation of protests: The new Iran

The most defining aspect of Iran in 2018 has been the continuation of anti-government protests. The wave of protests that started in the last days of 2017 and expanded to more than 140 cities in all 31 provinces shook the ruling theocracy to the core. That movement has continued in different shapes and forms over the past 11 months, despite a heavy crackdown, waves of arrests, and long prison terms for protesters.

After the first wave of protests between late December and mid-January, the situation has changed dramatically and protests have erupted in various parts of the country. After the first wave of protests, the big question was whether it was just a short-lived phenomenon that the regime was able to contain. The Iranian opposition maintained that the protests would adapt and continue. The past 11 months have clearly demonstrated the prescience of opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, who heads the opposition’s coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which includes the MEK. She correctly anticipated that the regime would be unable to turn the tide.