Inside Iran’s Regime Crisis

Rita Panahi was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, but her family fled Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, eventually settling in Australia as asylum seekers. She still has family trapped in Iran and cannot return—"it would be madness to go back. You would be locked up and killed in record time." Her earliest memories include being forced into hijab as a four-year-old and chanting "Death to America" at school assembly. These experiences shape her understanding of what is unfolding inside Iran today.

Why Iran Is Different

Panahi argues that Iran cannot be lumped in with Iraq, Syria, or Libya. Iranians are Persians, not Arabs, with a history that predates Islam. The regime has survived for 47 years through sheer brutality—gunning down protesters, arresting thousands, and targeting families. "As fed up as the population is, it takes a lot to take to the streets knowing you could be shot dead, you could be locked up, your family targeted." She notes that despite mass slaughter, people still showed up night after night during recent uprisings.