Reformists attempt comeback, E3 talks to resume—and more

The Iranist for the week of August 22, 2025

Aug 22, 2025

۱/1 Reformists attempt comeback through statement

* “Reformists” or “Moderates” describe themselves as individuals who believe in the status quo and reforming the Islamic Republic, while “Principlists” or “Fundamentalists” are what Western media call “hardliners.”

On August 17, the Reformist Front—an umbrella of twenty-seven reformist factions—issued a statement outlining an eleven-point roadmap for domestic and foreign policy reforms, arguing it was the only way for “choosing a courageous path of national reconciliation.” (Amwaj.media) The proposed measures include suspending uranium enrichment and accepting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, lifting the house arrest of Green Movement Leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, release all political prisoners, reform state media and eliminate censorship, revising laws related to women’s rights, and removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from politics. Read the full statement in Persian here.

Not surprisingly, this provoked an angry response from the principalists. Hardliner Kayhan newspaper, the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said,

“The text, substance, and content of the Reform Front’s statements are aligned, identical, and consistent with the interests of the Western front—namely the governments of Europe, the United States, and Israel. The unfinished plan of Israel and the United States to eliminate the Islamic system continues with the assistance and efforts of the Western-oriented front and the leaders of sedition in Iran; in such a way that Israel’s failure to achieve its goals during the 12-day war is being compensated through the activities of those claiming to be reformists.” (Iran International)

Other hardline outlets made similar comments, including IRGC-affiliated Fars News, which called the statement a “charter of submission to foreign enemies.” (Iran International)

Interestingly, on August 18, President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the National Education Directors Conference, said, “You cannot fix a country with slogans, and you cannot reform society with claims. You cannot create behavioral change with force either—behavioral change comes from the heart and must originate from within.” (IranWire)

Last week, former President Hassan Rouhani told Entekhab News:

“There is no way to save the country except for all of us to become servants of the people—to recognize that sovereignty belongs to the people. The Iranian nation owns Iran… If we can improve relations with Europe, our neighbors, and both East and West—even reduce tensions with the United States—and it serves our interests, then why not? Not only is there nothing wrong with it, it is our duty and obligation.” (Iran International)

Similar points were raised in an op-ed published in Foreign Policy by former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who argued for a “paradigm shift,” one that “begins domestically and radiates outward into its neighborhood.”

These calls for reforms may seem out of the ordinary, but as Al-Monitor explains:

“Factional rivalry in Iran’s political landscape is nothing new. It is as old as the Islamic Republic itself… Despite the suffocating environment, some groups have survived by adhering to the regime’s principles, calling for reform without challenging the state’s existence.”

Widespread disillusionment with the Islamic Republic—driven by systemic mismanagement, corruption, and repression—has left many overwhelmingly wanting the regime gone (see #6). Frustration with the reformist faction also runs deep, stemming from its repeated failure to deliver on promises of “reform” and expanded civil liberties over the years. This discontent was underscored by the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, both of which recorded the lowest turnouts in the Islamic Republic’s forty-six-year history.

FORGET REFORM, REFERENDUM NEEDED On August 17, seventeen political and civil activists, including Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi, signed a statement calling for a referendum and the establishment of a constitutional assembly to facilitate a peaceful transition (IranWire). The signatories outlined their vision, the “Third Way,” during an online meeting, in which Mohammadi noted:

“We have reached a focal point and goal in the struggle, and that focus is actually the principle of the Islamic Republic system. The Islamic Republic as a religious authoritarian government has shown that it cannot be reformed.”

The session was repeatedly disrupted by internet issues, which organizers attributed to the security apparatus’s attempts to block the speakers.

In July, Mir Hossein Mousavi—the figurehead of the 2009 post-election protests known as the Green Movement, who has been under house arrest since 2011—called for a national referendum to overhaul the Islamic Republic (IranWire).

۲/2 Sharifeh Mohammadi at imminent risk of execution

Mohammadi isn’t the only political prisoner at risk of imminent execution; there are eight others. There’s also a high risk of execution of nearly 70 prisoners—all happening while international attention is focused elsewhere, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

Meanwhile, this week marked the 82nd week of “No to Execution Tuesdays” in 49 prisons across Iran (IranWire).

۳/3 E3 to hold nuclear talks next week before snapback deadline

Meanwhile, on August 20, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the time for “effective” nuclear talks with the United States has not yet arrived (Reuters). On August 15, during an interview with state media, Araghchi also noted that Tehran is working with China and Russia to prevent snapback sanctions (New Arab). He added, “If this does not work and they apply it, we have tools to respond. We will discuss them in due course.”

Read this New York Times piece on why it’s so difficult to know how much damage US strikes did to the underground Fordow nuclear site.

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۴/4 Larijani visits Lebanon to ease tensions with government over Hezbollah

Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, traveled from Baghdad to Beirut (IranWire). Because Iranian airlines are barred from flying over Syrian airspace, his journey took six hours instead of the usual two.

۵/5 Protests over power outages pop up in new cities

Some of the chants heard in Shiraz and Kazerun in southwest Fars province include, “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran,” “Leave Palestine, think of us,” and “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom.” (X/X)

Power outages in Shiraz are reportedly up to 4.5 hours daily.

۶/6 Gamaan poll reveals 70 percent don’t want an Islamic Republic

NOTE: Conducting polls under an authoritarian regime is challenging, but the findings from June 2024 are noteworthy.

۷/7 At least 50 explosions and fires since ceasefire

OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:

Human Rights

۰ Iran executes five prisoners in three cities (IranWire)

۰ Iran executes 12 prisoners in a single day (IranWire)

۰ Iran executes prisoner in public for murder in Golestan province (IranWire)

۰ Supreme Court denies second appeal for political prisoner on death Row (IranWire)

۰ Hassan Ronaghi severely tortured in prison (X)

۰ 53 Christians arrested after 12-day war with Israel (HRANA)

۰ Singer sentenced to 8 months in prison for social media posts (IranWire)

۰ Court sentences two civil activists to prison for social media posts (IranWire)

۰ Kurdish activist shot, arrested by revolutionary guards (IranWire)

۰ Mehdi Jahangiri arrested in Tehran (HRANA)

۰ IRGC raids 10 Baha’i homes in central Iran (IranWire)

۰ Kurdish activist arrested in Tehran by security forces (IranWire)

۰ 7 Kurdish teachers face dismissal, disciplinary action for union activism (IranWire)

۰ Cleric removes turban in defiance after prison sentence upheld (IranWire)

۰ State TV airs forced confessions of Christian converts (IranWire)

Domestic Issues

۰ A devastating drought in Iran (NPR)

۰ Iran exports electricity as power outages kill citizens at home (IranWire)

۰ Extreme heat, power outages cripple Khuzestan province (IranWire)

۰ Power outages disrupt mobile networks and internet access (IranWire)

۰ Prison officials deny food to female inmates, citing power outage (IranWire)

۰ Father kills 20-year-old daughter in southeastern Iran (IranWire)

۰ Hospital units close due to severe nurse shortage (IranWire)

۰ Temporary marriage law traps women in legal limbo (IranWire)

۰ Iranian Love Island: young singles mingle in luxury villa as host defends male dominance (IranWire)

۰ Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami undergoes heart procedure (Iran Front Page)

۰ Gunmen kill 5 police officers in southeastern Iran (AP)

Foreign Policy + Security

۰ Iran-linked groups are exploiting Britain’s charity sector, UK lawmaker says (Iran International)

۰ Diplomacy or defiance: Iran’s rulers face existential choice after US-Israeli strikes (Reuters)

۰ Israel says Iranian agents recruited dozens of its citizens (New York Times)

۰ ‘No ceasefire’: Khamenei military adviser warns war with Israel could restart at any time (Times of Israel)

۰ Revolutionary guard defies US and Israel (Bloomberg)

۰ Iran says it has developed missiles with new capabilities, will use them if Israel attacks again (Times of Israel)

۰ Security chief says Israel was ‘helpless’ under missile barrage (Iran International)

۰ Iran-backed Iraqi armed group claims Israeli attack on its forces imminent (Rudaw)

۰ Iran holds military drills after big losses in war with Israel (Reuters)

۰ Iran still jamming local GPS users in wake of Israel war (AFP)

۰ Iran plans 20 satellites, test launch by end of 2025 (Al-Monitor)

۰ Russian allies Belarus and Iran agree to boost bilateral defense ties (AP)

۰ Will China help Iran build a new air force? (New Arab)

۰ Pezeshkian seeks assurances in Armenia as Yerevan, Baku nominate Trump for Nobel (Al-Monitor)

۰ Iran’s president visits Armenia for talks on US-backed Azerbaijan corridor (Al Jazeera)

۰ Ukraine cancels visa-free travel agreement with Iran for diplomats (IranWire)

۰ At least 79 dead after bus crashes carrying Afghans deported from Iran (Washington Post)

Iran Deal + Sanctions

۰ US issues sanctions on networks, vessels for dealing in Iran oil (Reuters)

۰ UK sanctions Iranian oil magnate and four companies (Reuters)

۰ With UN sanctions on the horizon, is Iran girding for renewed conflict? (Amwaj.media)

۰ Iran to launch missile drill as Araghchi signals conditional IAEA cooperation (Al-Monitor)

۰ Iran’s freeze on nuclear inspections prompts UN-US crisis talks (Bloomberg)