Revolutionary youths underground movement in Iran (2015)
Youth is the largest population bloc in Iran. Over 60 percent of Iran’s 73 million people are under 30 years old.
Iranian youth are among the most politically active in the 57 nations of the
Islamic world. As the most restive segment of Iranian society, the young also represent one of
the greatest long-term threats to the current form of theocratic rule. Young activists have
influenced the Islamic Republic's political agenda since 1997. After the 2009 presidential
election, youth was the biggest bloc involved in the region's first sustained ''people power''
movement for democratic change, creating a new political dynamic in the Middle East. The
Islamic Republic forcibly regained control over the most rebellious sector of society through
detentions, expulsions from universities, and expanding the powers of its own young
paramilitary forces. But youth demands have not changed, and anger simmers beneath the
surface. The regime also remains vulnerable because it has failed to address basic socioeconomic problems among the young.
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