The Islamic Republic has not escaped popular opposition in the past . During the 1980s , the Marxist-Islamist , Mojahedin Khalq was instrumental in opposing Ayatollah Khomeini through large protests and bombings against politicians such as Mohammad-Ali Rajai , Shahid Beheshti , and Khamenei himself , who escaped an assassination attempt that left his right arm paralyzed . Following the 1981 Hafte Tir bombing , Ayatollah Khomeini declared the Mojahedin and anyone opposed to the Islamic republic , " enemies of god " and pursued a mass campaign of torture , rape , and execution against members of the Mojahedin , Fadaiyan , and Tudeh parties as well as their families , close friends , and even anyone who was accused of insufficient Islamic behavior , resulting in the deaths of thousands of Iranians who were usually tried in secret kangaroo courts run by hard line clerics . Following Operation Mersad in 1988 , Khomeini ordered all prisons to execute those still in captivity , resulting in an estimated 3,000 to 30,000 dead . Since then , no organized opposition has surfaced in Iran and following this experience , the Iranian Government usually employs heavy handed tactics to marginalize any attempt at regime removal and usually justifies this with the " enemy of god " classification
Hafte Tir bombing
Hafte Tir bombing
2009 Iranian presidential election protests