Ryma Sheermohammadi: "In Iran, women continue to receive text messages warning them that they have been seen without a veil."

BarcelonaRyma Sheermohammadi (Riyadh, 1971) was born in Saudi Arabia to an Iranian family. She has lived in Catalonia for over thirty years, where she works as a translator and interpreter and is an activist for Iranian women's rights. Although she has not lived in Iran, she still has a family and has traveled frequently.

Have you been able to speak with your family in Iran?

— I've managed to chat with them, but the connection isn't good. The internet has been practically dead since Wednesday, and there's also not much news from the state media inside the country. The last time I spoke to my cousin, he told me they're desperately trying to find a way out of the capital, but it's not easy. There's no cash in the ATMs, and there are huge lines to fill up their tanks.

Are they talking about the bombings?

— Yes, they tell me the children are very restless. They try to explain it to them and entertain them, but it's not easy. They live in a state of stress. Everyone is very afraid.

Would you say that there is a perceived weakening of the regime?

— The data is there. They've decapitated the Revolutionary Guard. Those with the most knowledge, the most experience… no longer exist. They've been replacing people, but they don't even have time to build a team. Add to this the fact that they've bombed key positions with missiles and weapons...

As an activist in the Women, Life, and Freedom movement, how does the desire to overthrow the regime coexist with seeing the bombings?

— I'm curious to see how Iranians inside react. Outside, I see a clear division. There are those who say, "A military force that overthrows the regime is a great thing, and then the people will rebuild everything." And there are others who say, "Not in war. Civilians are being killed. We don't want the Islamic Republic, nor do we want war. We haven't spent so many years of peaceful protesting to end up where we are now." I can understand both narratives, I can agree with parts of each, but I'm cautious because I don't live in the country. What I'm very clear about is that many civilians are dying. Places where the Islamic Republic's military might is located are being bombed, which it has used against its own people, but in the buildings next door, hundreds of civilians are dead. The principles of international law tell us "no to war" and tell us that it's necessary to strengthen civil society, and also that countries must ensure the safety of other countries' citizens. I can't invade another country and do whatever I want.

What was missing for the women's rights protests to be successful?

— A significant portion of Iranian society didn't take to the streets. We Iranians call it the gray layer of society. Those who say, "What you're doing to women isn't right, but I want my table and chairs." Before that war, the poor truck drivers in Iran, who belong to the poorest population in the country, had been on strike for 15 days. Any union activism in Iran means imprisonment. They'd gone two weeks without any financial support, and you risk losing everything.

Do you think the Israeli offensive could lead to the recovery of regional alliances? A retreat toward the regime?

— I don't think the Iranian government expected any decisive action from Russia, but it has said it will immediately take a stand, with its entire army and everything.

The son of the last shah has called from exile for a nationwide "insurrection" and says Khamenei's fall is "irreversible."

— "There is a group of Iranians who support Xa's son, but for many he is still an outsider. I always have my eyes on the leadership of the people inside. And in this sense, it will be difficult to overthrow Khamenei. Consider that they are arresting many people simply for hanging a story on her Instagram.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned against overthrowing a government "when you have no idea what will come next." What are the risks of overthrowing Khamenei from outside?

— Many foreign forces like to reinforce this idea. They were already saying it during the 2022 protests to undermine the movement's strength: "There's no alternative! Who wants them to come here now?" But in a situation of absolute oppression, who can present themselves as an alternative? If the West were to advocate for a period of transition in which security for Iranians could be ensured, I believe there is a fairly powerful civil society in Iran that can organize itself. What Iranians want is complete regime change and for citizens themselves to have the opportunity to choose their political system.

It will soon be three years since Mahsa Amini's death. What remains of that movement in Iran?

— From within, there remains a victory over what Khamenei had declared the regime's red line: the veil issue. It is what externally positions Iran as a purely Shia Islamic country. Women still receive text messages: "You were present without a veil on such and such a street." But women do what they want, and many men have supported them. It has been a huge victory for Iranian society, and they have paid a heavy price.