MEF Executive Director Gregg Roman joins Come to Think of It to discuss the nationwide Iranian protests that began in late December and the regime’s escalating crackdown. Roman traces the unrest to years of mounting economic failure and political repression—citing water and electricity shortages, hyperinflation, and pervasive corruption—before describing how bazaar strikes helped spread demonstrations across nearly 200 cities.
He argues that the regime’s response shifted dramatically on January 8–9 after a call to mobilize, when authorities shut down communications and unleashed lethal force, including snipers and heavy weapons, alongside reports of IRGC units targeting wounded protesters in hospitals. Roman contends the violence was premeditated, enabled by long-planned regional dispersal of security assets and reinforced by foreign Shiite militias allegedly paid through a bounty system.
He also describes coercive measures against victims’ families—including fees to retrieve bodies—and warns that renewed protests could erupt around the 40-day mourning period in mid-February. Roman closes by outlining MEF’s Iran-focused work, including the Iran Freedom Project’s efforts to help unify opposition groups and strengthen nonviolent resistance.
NIMAROVSKI: Hello and welcome to Come to Think of It. My name is Steve Nimarovski, and I’m your host. We’re going outside our box for this episode. We’re not a news show, but I’ve been personally outraged by the lack of news coverage related to the protests in Iran and the massacre of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
In Gaza, when there is even one tragic civilian death during wartime, it often consumes the news for hours or days. In Iran, there were possibly 30,000 or more killed on January 8 and 9, and tens of thousands more injured, yet there has been almost no reporting. As far as I’m aware, there have been no demonstrations on U.S. campuses in support of Iranian protesters.
This was arguably among the worst crimes against humanity in modern history, and yet it’s barely been covered. So I reached out to the Middle East Forum, an organization that studies key events and issues in the region, and asked if they could provide a guest with deep knowledge of what’s happening in Iran.
Joining us is Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. Gregg, welcome to Come to Think of It.
ROMAN: Thanks for having me, Steve.
NIMAROVSKI: I know this issue has been front and center for the Middle East Forum since the protests began, and I want to commend you for your coverage. At the end of the show, we’ll talk about how people can find the Middle East Forum and read what you’ve written. I don’t understand why this isn’t being covered. To me, it’s one of the most significant stories of my lifetime.
ROMAN: I agree. This is something we’ve been tracking not just during the most recent wave of protests between December 27 and mid-January, but for more than 30 years as an organization.
NIMAROVSKI: I don’t usually do news, but today we are. I’m working from articles you’ve written so viewers can go read more in depth. When possible, I’d like you to cite sources, though I understand there are security constraints. With that in mind, take us back to late December. What sparked these protests?
ROMAN: To understand the latest protests, you have to go back about 17 years. The first major modern protest movement was in 2009, the Green Movement, after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected in what many Iranians saw as a sham election. Millions protested what they viewed as fake democracy.
At the time, the Obama administration framed it as an internal Iranian matter. That posture largely continued until 2018, when President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reimposed maximum pressure sanctions. The goal was to force negotiations over the nuclear program, but instead Iran increased uranium enrichment and intensified repression.
In 2019, there were labor-led protests, including by transportation workers. In 2022, the killing of Mahsa Amini by morality police sparked mass demonstrations. Over 17 years, there have been five major protest waves, culminating in December 27, when a combination of water shortages, electricity mismanagement, hyperinflation, and corruption pushed the country to a breaking point.
Polls show between 80 and 90 percent of Iranians do not support the government. A poll taken just days ago found 92 percent had lost faith in the regime’s ability to govern. On December 27, Iran’s bazaars went on strike nationwide. The last time that happened was 1979, before the fall of the Shah. When the merchant class shuts down, it signals something existential.
NIMAROVSKI: And these protests weren’t localized.
ROMAN: No. They began in Tehran and spread within about a week and a half to 191 cities. Millions shut down the economy and protested nightly. For the first ten days, the regime used relatively low-intensity crowd control. There were deaths, but on a smaller scale. Everything changed on January 8.
NIMAROVSKI: What triggered that escalation?
ROMAN: Reza Pahlavi, the Shah’s son and a prominent opposition figure, called for mass demonstrations via satellite television and other channels while the internet was still partially functioning. Millions responded on January 8 and 9.
That’s when the regime shut down the internet and phone lines and revealed its true face. Snipers fired into crowds from rooftops. Heavy machine guns, normally used for anti-aircraft purposes, were used against protesters.
There are reports, including from The Jerusalem Post, of IRGC units going hospital to hospital, executing wounded protesters on operating tables. The scale of violence is unfathomable. By conservative estimates, between 50,000 and 60,000 people were killed over two to three weeks. Around 400,000 were injured. Tens of thousands are imprisoned, so many that political prisoners are now being held in grain silos and sports stadiums.
NIMAROVSKI: And this was nationwide, which suggests planning.
ROMAN: Exactly. This wasn’t spontaneous. Since 2004, Iran localized its security apparatus, appointing IRGC commanders from the regions they controlled. In 2009, they dispersed heavy weaponry across all 31 provinces. The regime prepared for this scenario decades in advance.
What surprised them initially was that some security forces defected and joined protesters. That’s when foreign Shiite militias were brought in—from Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. These fighters were reportedly paid between $500 and $600 per confirmed killing. This was a premeditated massacre enabled by information blackouts and international silence.
NIMAROVSKI: The brutality extended even after death.
ROMAN: Yes. Families were charged roughly 60 million tomans to retrieve the bodies of loved ones from morgues. Burial ceremonies were restricted. The regime exerted control not just over life and death, but over mourning itself. It’s a level of cruelty rarely seen outside the worst historical atrocities.
NIMAROVSKI: There are reports of renewed protests after the 40-day mourning period.
ROMAN: That’s correct. In Shia tradition, families mark the 40th day after death with public remembrance. That brings us to February 17 or 18. Tens of thousands of families could mobilize. What’s different this time is that the protests are no longer just about economics. They are explicitly anti-regime.
NIMAROVSKI: Before we close, tell viewers how to learn more.
ROMAN: People can visit meforum.org, find us on X at @meforum, and explore our Iran coverage, including the Iran Freedom Project. We’re working to unite opposition groups, provide training in nonviolent resistance and humanitarian aid, and help build a viable alternative to the regime.
NIMAROVSKI: Gregg, thank you. This feels like the first inning, not the last. I hope you’ll come back.
ROMAN: I’d be happy to. Thank you for covering this.
NIMAROVSKI: I don’t know how to properly close this episode. Tens of thousands have been murdered, and the world barely knows. Thanks to the Middle East Forum and others trying to get the truth out, we can at least begin to understand. Please share this conversation and help break the silence.
