Reza H. Akbari
@rezahakbari.bsky.social
PhD Candidate AU History - Program Manager IWPR MENA - IMES at GWU Alumnus - Iranian-American - Suffering Buffalo Bills fan - inforezaakbari@gmail.com
Pinned
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran, I examine the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the policy of confrontation adopted by the monarchist opposition, & the shrinking space for moderation. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
The Pezeshkian admin. has released an official list of those killed in the #IranProtests, according to official gov. data. The document includes the first name, last name, father’s name, & national ID number of 2,986 victims. 131 bodies remain unidentified. www.khabaronline.ir/news/2176465... #Iran
فهرست دولت پزشکیان از اسامی جانباختگان رخدادهای دی ماه ۱۴۰۴ + اسامی و کدملی
فهرست دولت پزشکیان از اسامی جانباختگان رخدادهای دی ماه ۱۴۰۴ منتشر شد.
www.khabaronline.ir
February 2, 2026 at 4:03 PM
The Pezeshkian admin. has released an official list of those killed in the #IranProtests, according to official gov. data. The document includes the first name, last name, father’s name, & national ID number of 2,986 victims. 131 bodies remain unidentified. www.khabaronline.ir/news/2176465... #Iran
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
February 1, 2026 at 11:28 PM
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Very powerful indeed.
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
February 1, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Very powerful indeed.
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
February 1, 2026 at 11:28 PM
The powerful front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi features the names of 3,000 individuals who, according to government reports, were killed during the protests in Iran. #Iran #IranProtests2026
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran, I examine the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the policy of confrontation adopted by the monarchist opposition, & the shrinking space for moderation. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran, I examine the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the policy of confrontation adopted by the monarchist opposition, & the shrinking space for moderation. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
Whether #Iran’s diverse internal and external sociopolitical actors are willing or even able to follow the path of restraint remains uncertain. However, it does grow more unlikely with each act of violence and every turn toward exclusionary politics. 17/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Whether #Iran’s diverse internal and external sociopolitical actors are willing or even able to follow the path of restraint remains uncertain. However, it does grow more unlikely with each act of violence and every turn toward exclusionary politics. 17/17
Many questions remain unanswered. Can those bearing the brunt of repression and deepening socioeconomic hardship be convinced that foreign intervention delivers catastrophe rather than deliverance? Can patience and perseverance still be summoned under unprecedented state repression? 16/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Many questions remain unanswered. Can those bearing the brunt of repression and deepening socioeconomic hardship be convinced that foreign intervention delivers catastrophe rather than deliverance? Can patience and perseverance still be summoned under unprecedented state repression? 16/17
Yet as some muffled voices still insist, despair is not a terminal condition. Collective anguish doesn't have to culminate in annihilation. Even in its wounded condition, segments of society that believe in less costly paths to change may still manage to resist the urge of vengeance & rebuild. 15/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Yet as some muffled voices still insist, despair is not a terminal condition. Collective anguish doesn't have to culminate in annihilation. Even in its wounded condition, segments of society that believe in less costly paths to change may still manage to resist the urge of vengeance & rebuild. 15/17
This dynamic creates a bitter irony. It marginalizes the actors most capable of reducing harm. What is drowned out is not merely a political position, but a principled stance for community care, social survival, and change tooted in long-term movement building. 14/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
This dynamic creates a bitter irony. It marginalizes the actors most capable of reducing harm. What is drowned out is not merely a political position, but a principled stance for community care, social survival, and change tooted in long-term movement building. 14/17
Amid the clash of competing domestic and foreign factions, moderate voices who have long advocated for a more peaceful transition of power, nonviolent resistance, and diplomacy have been sidelined. 13/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Amid the clash of competing domestic and foreign factions, moderate voices who have long advocated for a more peaceful transition of power, nonviolent resistance, and diplomacy have been sidelined. 13/17
History offers no shortage of regimes—from Assad’s Syria to Egypt, from Belarus to Myanmar—that have governed long after their populations politically and emotionally moved on from them. Power sustained by coercion does not require popular consent. 12/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
History offers no shortage of regimes—from Assad’s Syria to Egypt, from Belarus to Myanmar—that have governed long after their populations politically and emotionally moved on from them. Power sustained by coercion does not require popular consent. 12/17
The ruling elites in Iran have undoubtedly lost a significant portion of their already tenuous legitimacy. But we should not confuse the erosion of legitimacy with declining capacity to rule through brute force. 11/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
The ruling elites in Iran have undoubtedly lost a significant portion of their already tenuous legitimacy. But we should not confuse the erosion of legitimacy with declining capacity to rule through brute force. 11/17
Iran's monarchists have thus far failed to demonstrate such capacities. They have shown an ability to ignite decentralized chaos, partly by relying on rhetorical and political support from some of the most right-wing U.S. and Israeli factions. 10/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Iran's monarchists have thus far failed to demonstrate such capacities. They have shown an ability to ignite decentralized chaos, partly by relying on rhetorical and political support from some of the most right-wing U.S. and Israeli factions. 10/17
Movements capable of delivering a democratic future require extensive organizational, structural, and alliance-building mechanisms to translate outrage to sustained and strategic action. Nonviolent movements reduce the personal, social, and political costs of participation. 9/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Movements capable of delivering a democratic future require extensive organizational, structural, and alliance-building mechanisms to translate outrage to sustained and strategic action. Nonviolent movements reduce the personal, social, and political costs of participation. 9/17
For now, the society is left to bear the human costs of repression, injuries, deaths, and trauma. Symbols, nostalgia, slogans, and the fantasy of a climactic final battle with the regime's "evil forces" can never fill the profound void of direction, leadership, and long-term strategy. 8/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
For now, the society is left to bear the human costs of repression, injuries, deaths, and trauma. Symbols, nostalgia, slogans, and the fantasy of a climactic final battle with the regime's "evil forces" can never fill the profound void of direction, leadership, and long-term strategy. 8/17
The core predicament facing the monarchists is that their costly confrontational approach has amplified anger and regime violence. Their strategy, however, has not offered much in the form of a viable path for sustainable political gains. 7/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
The core predicament facing the monarchists is that their costly confrontational approach has amplified anger and regime violence. Their strategy, however, has not offered much in the form of a viable path for sustainable political gains. 7/17
This is particularly true in the Islamic Republic’s case, where the ruling elites have repeatedly demonstrated both capacity and willingness to employ overwhelming violence to suppress dissent, with the recent protest cycle representing the most extreme example to date. 6/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
This is particularly true in the Islamic Republic’s case, where the ruling elites have repeatedly demonstrated both capacity and willingness to employ overwhelming violence to suppress dissent, with the recent protest cycle representing the most extreme example to date. 6/17
Without a decisive political leader or a unified organizational structure, it is nearly impossible to generate a coherent long-term movement capable of posing an existential challenge to the regime. 5/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Without a decisive political leader or a unified organizational structure, it is nearly impossible to generate a coherent long-term movement capable of posing an existential challenge to the regime. 5/17
Final figures of the dead are still being tallied, but even some of the lowest estimates point to nothing short of a national tragedy that will haunt victims and perpetrators for decades to come. 4/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Final figures of the dead are still being tallied, but even some of the lowest estimates point to nothing short of a national tragedy that will haunt victims and perpetrators for decades to come. 4/17
Endless diaspora squabbling did not mean that real atrocities were not taking place in Iran. A bloody massacre took place, for which the Islamic Republic bears the lion's share of responsibility. As the internet connection slowly returns, fragments of horror are being pieced together. 3/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Endless diaspora squabbling did not mean that real atrocities were not taking place in Iran. A bloody massacre took place, for which the Islamic Republic bears the lion's share of responsibility. As the internet connection slowly returns, fragments of horror are being pieced together. 3/17
Amid an internet shutdown, diaspora whishcasting only grew louder. Infighting swelled, and speculation intensified about what people in the country supposedly wanted. Some voices went as far as to call for military strikes on #Iran to “save” its citizens from their ruling autocrats. 2/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Amid an internet shutdown, diaspora whishcasting only grew louder. Infighting swelled, and speculation intensified about what people in the country supposedly wanted. Some voices went as far as to call for military strikes on #Iran to “save” its citizens from their ruling autocrats. 2/17
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran, I examine the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the policy of confrontation adopted by the monarchist opposition, & the shrinking space for moderation. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran, I examine the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the policy of confrontation adopted by the monarchist opposition, & the shrinking space for moderation. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
A thread of some of my key arguments: 1/17
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran I examine post-protest sociopolitical dynamics inside the country, the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the confrontational approach embraced by monarchist opposition factions, & the rapidly shrinking space for moderation. #IranProtests
A Massacre and the Myth of a Revolution
Grief, Uncertainty, and Disappearing Moderation in Post-Protest Iran
guardeddomains.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:26 PM
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran I examine post-protest sociopolitical dynamics inside the country, the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the confrontational approach embraced by monarchist opposition factions, & the rapidly shrinking space for moderation. #IranProtests
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran I examine post-protest sociopolitical dynamics inside the country, the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the confrontational approach embraced by monarchist opposition factions, & the rapidly shrinking space for moderation. #IranProtests
A Massacre and the Myth of a Revolution
Grief, Uncertainty, and Disappearing Moderation in Post-Protest Iran
guardeddomains.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:26 PM
In my latest essay on protests in #Iran I examine post-protest sociopolitical dynamics inside the country, the emotional toll of a bloody massacre, the shortcomings of the confrontational approach embraced by monarchist opposition factions, & the rapidly shrinking space for moderation. #IranProtests
According to aggregated data compiled by HRANA, the number of confirmed deaths has reached 5,002, while the number of fatalities still under investigation is 9,787. In addition, at least 7,391 people have suffered serious injuries during the #IranProtests. www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-s... #Iran
Day Twenty-Six of the Protests: Government Commits Violence, Denies Responsibility, and Continues Mass Arrests - Hrana
HRANA – On the twenty-sixth day of nationwide protests, according to aggregated data compiled by HRANA, the number of confirmed fatalities has reached 5,002, while the number of deaths still under inv...
www.en-hrana.org
January 23, 2026 at 4:05 PM
According to aggregated data compiled by HRANA, the number of confirmed deaths has reached 5,002, while the number of fatalities still under investigation is 9,787. In addition, at least 7,391 people have suffered serious injuries during the #IranProtests. www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-s... #Iran