Israeli strikes are pressuring Iran's establishment, a complex system
of clerical rule and limited democracy, as Israel continues
to target senior figures, the security apparatus, and
the state media. But despite repeated bouts of nationwide
protests against the Shiite government in Tehran, stretching back
decades, Iran's opposition is fragmented and appears to have
little organized presence inside the country. Here are some
of the opposition groups or blocks. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, Iran's last Shah, died in 1980 after fleeing
the revolution the year before. His son and once
heir to the throne, Reza Pahlavi is now based
in the United States and calls for a regime change
through non Violent civil disobedience, and a referendum.
He has plenty of admirers, but it is uncertain
how popular a return to the monarchy would be inside
the country. Many recall its inequalities and oppression with
opinions split even among pro-monarchist groups. The mujahideen were
a powerful leftist group that staged bombing campaigns against the
Shah's government and US targets in the 1970s. Many
Iranians, including sworn enemies of the Islamic Republic,
cannot forgive it for siding with Iraq against Iran during
the war of 1980 to 1988. The group was
the first to publicly reveal in 2002 that Iran had
a secret uranium enrichment program. In exile, its
leader Masoud Rajabi has not been seen for more than
20 years. His wife, Maryam Rajavi has taken
control and also leads the National Council of Resistance of
Iran, which is active in many Western countries.
Rights groups have criticized it for what they call cult-like
behavior and abuses of its followers, which the group
denies. Iran's mostly Sunni Muslim Kurdish and Baloch minorities
have often chafed against the current rule. When major
protests have spread across Iran, they have often been
fiercest in Kurdish and Balochi areas where they form a
majority. But there isn't a single unified opposition movement
that poses a clear threat to Tehran's rule. Hundreds
of thousands of Iranians have protested at successive points for
decades. After the 2009 presidential election, demonstrators filled
Tehran and other cities, accusing the authorities of rigging
the vote against rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. His
movement, which sought Democratic reform within the existing system
of the Islamic Republic is now widely seen as defunct
. In 2022, major protests again gripped Iran,
centered on women's rights, but didn't result in an
organization or leadership. Many of the protesters were ultimately
arrested and jailed.