Islamism–Marxism Hybrid at Heart of Iran’s Unrest, Says Expat

Cut off from their families, Iranian Australians are calling for outside support as the protester death toll mounts in their home country.

Iranian Australians rally outside the U.S. Consulate holding signs of the Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi that read, Make Iran Great Again, calling for support of Iranian protestors in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 13, 2026. Adam Chiang/The Epoch Times

SYDNEY—An overseas community leader has warned that the unrest sweeping Iran is the result of decades of ideological extremism, describing the ruling system as a fusion of Islamism and Marxism now being openly challenged on the streets.

Maani Taghizadeh, head of Iranian Australian Patriots Association, led a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Sydney on Jan. 13, calling for the Trump administration to assist amid the bloody crackdown by the Ali Khamenei regime.