From protest to power politics in the Middle East

What is really happening in Iran?

What happens to human rights and peaceful protest when global powers prioritise their own strategic interests? The recent brutal crackdown on mass protests in Iran exposes how justice, democracy and human dignity are increasingly sidelined in today’s geopolitics. During an almost complete digital blackout, thousands of protesters were killed, arrested or disappeared — while the international community largely stood by.

At the same time, the international trajectory appears to be shifting. The United States, with mediation from countries including Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, is steering toward negotiations with Tehran. This stands in stark contrast to earlier statements in which President Trump called on Iranian protesters to hold firm and promised that “help is on its way.” Two weeks later, many Iranians feel betrayed by the democratic great powers. Globally, Washington now seems primarily focused on reaching a deal, while Moscow and Beijing are actively supporting the survival of the Iranian regime. Regionally, actors from Ankara to Riyadh are facilitating diplomatic talks in an effort to avert a regional war.

In just two days, the repression claimed more civilian lives than two years of war in Gaza — yet international outrage and political consequences remain limited. Why is this the case? And what does it reveal about the future of global power, human rights and international solidarity?

During this event, we will examine the following questions:

• Which power blocs are shaping the current and future security architecture of the Middle East?
• What role does the EU play, having placed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on its terrorism list alongside ISIS and Al-Qaida?
• What are Iranian protesters fighting for, and why is it crucial that we listen to their voices here?

Our panel to date

Uri Rosenthal is a distinguished former politician, political scientist, and scholar of public administration. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2012.
Pejman Akbarzadeh is a documentary filmmaker and director of the Persian Dutch Network. 

Moderator

The discussion will be moderated by Janny Groen, an experienced journalist and author. She has worked as a freelance reporter for numerous publications while traveling extensively throughout Africa and Asia. From 1980 onwards, she held a variety of senior editorial positions at de Volkskrant, including Foreign Editor for Africa and correspondent in the United States.

English is the main language, but you are welcome to ask questions in Dutch as well.

Registration
As always, attendance is free for students and staff. Please sign up in advance:

Sign up