Clash with Liberals and Leftists
Before taking power, Khomeini presented himself as a defender of freedom and democracy. In interviews during his exile, he praised the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and expressed support for political plurality. However, once in power, he quickly reversed course. In a particularly stark declaration, he warned dissenters: “I repeat for the last time: abstain from holding meetings, from blathering, from publishing protests. Otherwise I will break your teeth.”
The most prominent clash occurred during the writing of the new constitution. Secular and liberal intellectuals, who had hoped for a democratic system, were sidelined. Many newspapers were shut down. In a defiant speech aimed at intellectuals, Khomeini said, “Yes, we are reactionaries, and you are enlightened intellectuals… You, who want all the freedoms… freedom that will corrupt our youth.”
By 1981, many of the leftist organizations that had supported the revolution were outlawed. Thousands were imprisoned, tortured, or executed. The consolidation of power under Khomeini laid the groundwork for a one-party theocratic state centered around his authority.
The Iran–Iraq War and the Culture of Martyrdom
On 22 September 1980, Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, launching what would become one of the longest and most devastating wars of the 20th century. Khomeini framed the conflict as a jihad to defend Islam, rallying the population through appeals to martyrdom and sacrifice. Tens of thousands of young volunteers, some even children, were sent to the front lines, often in human wave attacks. Reports of the use of child soldiers shocked international observers.