Path to Nuclear-Free Iran: Supporting Jin-Jiyan-Azadi Uprising for Regime Change

Despite decades of international pressure and mounting economic sanctions, the Iranian regime has continued its relentless pursuit of nuclear ambitions. In 2024, these ambitions escalated into open conflict. On June 13, 2025, facing what it perceives as an existential threat, Israel launched targeted strikes against Iran’s top generals and military infrastructure, including sites believed to be central to its uranium enrichment program. In response, Iran retaliated with indiscriminate missile attacks on civilian areas in Tel Aviv and Haifa, resulting in the tragic loss of many lives and widespread destruction. This devastating escalation reveals a deeper truth about the Iranian regime: while Israel’s military interventions may achieve tactical success, they are unlikely to provide a lasting solution to the nuclear threat or to the regime’s continued sponsorship of terrorism. As long as the regime in Tehran remains in power—ideologically entrenched, expansionist, and brutally repressive—it will continue to pose a serious threat not only to Israel but to the entire Middle East. What is needed is not only a military strategy—though that may be unavoidable—but also a political and social transformation from within Iran itself. The most promising force for such a transformation is the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) movement, a grassroots uprising that emerged after the killing of Kurdish woman Jina Amini in 2022. Rooted in inclusive democratic values and multiethnic solidarity, this movement may hold the key to dismantling the Islamic Republic and establishing a truly representative political system.

The threat posed by Iran lies not only in its nuclear ambitions but in the very nature of its regime. The Islamic Republic is sustained by structural violence, religious authoritarianism, and imperial expansionism. Its pursuit of nuclear arms is part of a broader strategy to consolidate regional power and insulate itself from domestic collapse. Through a vast proxy network—including militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen—it has exported instability and sectarian violence. Yet its most consistent victims are the Iranian people themselves—especially marginalized communities such as Kurds, Baluchis, and other ethnic and political minorities. Since its founding in 1979, the regime has treated these communities as internal enemies. Kurds, for instance, have been branded “enemies of God,” subjected to mass executions, cultural erasure, and relentless political persecution. Teaching the Kurdish language, engaging in civic activism, or even voicing dissent can result in imprisonment or death. In 2024 alone, Iran executed around 1,000 individuals—many of them Kurdish and other political prisoners. This repression is not incidental but fundamental. It reflects the regime’s strategy of enforcing a rigid Shia identity while suppressing the ethnic and cultural diversity that defines Iran’s true character.

Israel has successfully degraded parts of Iran’s regional militia network and struck elements of its nuclear infrastructure. While commendable, these efforts are temporary by nature. Infrastructure can be rebuilt; proxies can be rearmed. What Tehran cannot withstand indefinitely is a broad-based, sustained uprising from within. Bombing centrifuges may delay enrichment, but it does not alter the regime’s intent—nor does it dismantle the ideology driving its nuclear ambitions. The only lasting solution lies in replacing the regime with a government that reflects the will and diversity of the Iranian people.

Such a transformation can come only from within, through the concerted efforts of Iran’s most oppressed and disenfranchised communities. Engaged Persian, Kurdish, Baluch, and other opposition groups have declared that regime change in Iran is not only inevitable but necessary. In recent days, this position has been reinforced by major Kurdish political and armed forces, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Komala), and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDK-I) along with Jaish al-Adl a Baluchi resistance group. These groups have expressed their readiness to engage in both political and military efforts to dismantle the Islamic Republic and build a democratic alternative. They envision a system inspired by the autonomous administration in Rojava (northern Syria), where Kurds, Assyrians, Arabs, Christians, and Yezidis have established a decentralized and inclusive model of governance based on gender equality, religious freedom, and direct democracy—a model that has proven resilient even in the face of ISIS attacks and Turkish incursions. The Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) movement reflects these values. What began as a Kurdish slogan has evolved into a universal rallying cry, mobilizing millions of Iranians—Kurds, Baluchis, Azeris, Persians, and others—to engage in protests, strikes, and civil resistance. Yet slogans alone cannot topple a regime. Only organization, unity, and strategic cooperation can effect lasting change.

To realize the full potential of this movement, three key steps are essential. First, Kurdish forces need to overcome internal ideological and political divisions, reconcile their differences, and unite under a broad, non-partisan leadership. With their long history of resistance, military capability, political maturity, and popular legitimacy, these groups are uniquely positioned to lead a democratic Iranian coalition. Second, this leadership can serve as the foundation for a multiethnic, multireligious alliance. Iran’s oppressed communities—including Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Azeris, and progressive Persians—must recognize that unity is no longer optional but necessary. This coalition should prioritize democratic ideals over identity politics, embracing pluralism and mutual respect for ethnic and national differences while rejecting the sectarianism that has long fractured the region. Finally, the success of this movement depends on meaningful support from Western democracies—particularly Israel, the United States, and European nations. These allies must move beyond rhetorical support and provide tangible political, logistical, and diplomatic assistance to those struggling for transformation, democracy, and freedom within Iran. Just as the West supported the Kurdish-led battle against ISIS, it can now support efforts to replace Iran’s authoritarian regime with a democratic and peaceful alternative.

The cost of inaction could be steep. If the Islamic Republic survives, it is likely to grow even more extreme, responding to pressure with intensified domestic repression and an accelerated nuclear program. Its regional aggression may escalate as it continues to fund terrorism and destabilize neighboring states. It has already funneled billions of dollars to groups like Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attacks shocked the world. Those resources—drawn from Iran’s vast natural wealth—could have been used to lift millions out of poverty. Instead, ordinary Iranians face economic collapse, censorship, and violent repression. Therefore, a regime change in Iran is not only in Israel’s interest but also in the interest of every Iranian citizen and every nation in the Middle East that values peace, democracy, and human rights.

A new Iran—decentralized, democratic, and inclusive—has the potential to become a pillar of Middle Eastern stability. It could embrace the vision of the Abraham Accords, normalize relations with Israel, and contribute meaningfully to regional peace. Thus, the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi movement offers a compelling vision for the future—one grounded in dignity, equality, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence. This vision is not an abstract ideal. It is a living movement with grassroots momentum and global resonance. In 2022, it brought millions to the streets. With the right support, it can finish what it began.

To conclude, Israel’s airstrikes may win tactical victories, but they might not permanently defeat the ideology that fuels Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Only the Iranian people—led by their most oppressed and most resilient communities—can deliver a decisive and enduring solution. Supporting the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi movement is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity. If Israel and its Western allies are to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful Iran, their most powerful allies are not bombs alone, but the brave women and men risking everything for freedom in the streets of Tehran, Kermanshah, Mahabad, Tabriz, Zahedan, and beyond.