Iran’s Kurds and Other Minorities Saw Window of Hope in Antiregime Protests

Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan suffer lethal force and mass arrests during anti-regime protests. Photo courtesy of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI).

Iran’s ethnic minorities, who make up nearly half of the country’s population, played a central role in nationwide protests that began on December 28, 2025. Of Iran’s roughly 92 million people, about 61 percent are Persian, while the remainder includes Azerbaijanis at approximately 16 percent, Kurds at around 10 percent, Lurs at about 6 percent...