♪♪ >> Hello and welcome to "GZERO World."

I'm Ian Bremmer.

And today we are looking at the most significant protests to rock Iran since the Green Movement back in 2009.

Straight since September, young and mostly female demonstrators have filled the streets of most every major city in Iran, from Tehran to Tabriz, many discarding their headscarves at great personal risk as they protest Draconian social rules and restrictions.

The backlash from security forces in Iran has been brutal, though, except in the Kurdish region, the government has yet to send in the Revolutionary Guard, and it's happening at a time when Iran is already in the spotlight, when its men's national team put up a heck of a fight at the 2022 World Cup.

It was watched by over a billion people.

Where will these protests lead?

What are the geopolitical implications for the region and for the West?

I'm joined today by Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad.

Later, we head to the now icy streets of Kyiv, Ukraine, to see what it's like to hunker down not only against Russia, but against a really tough winter.

But first, a word from the folks who help us keep the lights on.

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Life.

Freedom.

Three words that have filled the streets of Tehran and a growing number of Iranian cities all across the country since anti-government protests erupted last September.

Those words have unfurled from huge banners in the stands of World Cup stadiums in Qatar, seen on over a billion television screens worldwide.

And they've captured the rage of a young and especially female generation, fed up with social norms and laws written by old male rulers.

This nationwide rallying cry began after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died after being taken into the custody of Tehran's notorious morality police, accused of violating a law on headscarves.

Since then, as women have taken to the street, discarding their headscarves in solidarity, a brutal crackdown by Iran's security forces has resulted in more than 14,000 Iranian civilians arrested, according to the U.N. At least 326 people killed, including 43 children.

Thousands more are estimated to have been injured.

And the Iranian judiciary has already sentenced at least one unnamed rioter to death.

Not since 2009 have such widespread and sustained protests challenged Iran's governing authority.

Then it was the so-called Green Movement from 13 years ago erupted over what was widely seen as a fraudulent presidential election.

But today's wave seems focused on Iranian security forces, with reports and videos circulating on social media of fire bombings at local morality police headquarters.

The irony is that in the past few years, there were hopes that Iranian society might be reforming, albeit slowly.

Iran's former president Hassan Rouhani, brought a pragmatic and somewhat progressive approach to governing, even appointing some women to spokesperson roles in his government.

He failed, however, to follow through on the vast majority of his promised social reforms.

And when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei essentially hand-picked the hard-right Ebrahim Raisi to succeed President Rouhani, that seemed to shut the door on any chance of reform for Iranian women.

It's hard to say where these protests will lead.

It's likely the present government will weather the storm, expand the present crackdown with significant violence, and reduce the opposition into smaller and more sporadic challenges.

Given the near non-existent international media presence within Iran, it'll be all the easier to snuff out the dispersed dissent.

But might the protesters win?

And what would winning mean?

How will Iran's domestic strife impact geopolitics in the region, not to mention in the West?

I'm joined now by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad to tackle those questions and more.

Here's our conversation.

Masih, thanks for joining us.

I appreciate it.

>> Thank you so much.

I'm so excited.

>> I want to get, of course, to everything happening on the ground in Iran.

But first, I want to ask you about the World Cup because, of course, extraordinary scenes in Iran that you posted about -- Iranians celebrating in Iran.

>> Can you believe that?

>> Because they were defeated by the United States.

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

Explain this to me, please.

>> I know it's very embarrassing for the Islamic Republic, but it's beautiful, actually.

For years and years, the Islamic Republic actually brainwashed us to say "death to America."

I mean, I myself, I grew up in a tiny village.

I was told that I have to shout "death to America" as loud as the White House could hear us.

Now, you hear that people in the streets were holding the flag of America celebrating the U.S. victory because it means that the Islamic Republic is kicked out from World Cup.

And it means that the Islamic Republic doesn't have a global platform anymore to normalize its murderous regime.

The World Cup -- I mean, it was a -- it was a platform for Iranians if the football players like showing solidarity with Iranian people.

Before coming to World Cup, all of them, they went to the mass murderer, Ebrahim Raisi.

They bowed to him.

They shook his hand.

So believe me, the football team doesn't represent Iranians.

It does represent the gender apartheid regime.

>> Now, the Iranians, the young Iranian men on this team did seem very sympathetic.

I saw that they were -- the first time around, they were not singing the national anthem.

Then they're threatened, then they sing it in a wooden way.

Some of them were crying afterwards.

The American players were supporting them, in some cases even embracing them.

Did any of that come through in Iran at all?

I mean, did the Iranian people see any of that?

>> Look, I'm a woman.

You're talking to a woman who's been kicked out from stadiums to watch football for 40 years.

And you want me to have sympathy with these male football players who never, never stood up for women in Iran?

I mean, imagine it was not women of Iran.

It was women here in America being kicked out from stadiums.

Would you really celebrate your "national team"?

This is not national team.

Right now, Iranian people are actually leading one of the historical revolution led by women, supported by men.

And this is the time that many well-known athletes, they're quitting their job.

Many well-known actress, they're quitting their job.

So this is the moment that we want to see that football players using global platform, like, bravely.

Saying that -- holding the pictures of Mahsa, holding the pictures of getting killed and going to different medias talking about.

>> And that they did not certainly do.

>> They didn't.

>> They did not do.

>> And don't forget that.

Before coming to the World Cup, as I told you, they shared the story of the Ayatollah, "supreme leader" of Iran.

They shook the hand of Ebrahim Raisi.

They actually showed their sympathy with Qasem Soleimani.

These are something that you cannot forget that, you know?

That is why we call on international sport federations to take a strong action.

You know, Putin, Putin's football team, they expelled from -- they got expelled from World Cup.

What is different between Putin and Khamenei?

You tell me.

>> Well, I mean, one invaded a sovereign country.

>> By whose help?

Khamenei.

Sending drones to Putin.

>> True.

That is true.

But I'm simply saying that there is, on the international stage, having invaded a neighboring country does -- >> Trust me, my brother.

Islamic Republic invaded Iran.

>> I understand that.

So I want to leave sports and talk about the situation on the ground in Iran.

It's obviously very inspirational, the footage that we've seen of all of these, particularly young people, particularly young women on the streets, very courageous.

Also been a lot of repression, also been a lot of brutality.

Kids killed, people killed.

And yet there's clearly a differential response that we're seeing in different parts of the country.

Why has there been as much restraint as there has for a regime that is capable of such brutality?

>> To be honest, I think that the Islamic Republic knows that if they now kill people, like the more that they kill, the more the people get determined to take back to the street.

The more that they kill, the more people get angry to take back to the streets.

And the reason that they kill people in the cities of Kurdistan, it's because it doesn't get much media attention.

But immediately when people get killed in Tehran, big cities in Isfahan, Shiraz, so people can reach out to international media, and that's why they're actually people -- massacre happened in Zahedan.

Only in one day.

Like 70 people got killed.

Only in one day.

They were praying.

They were all shot in their back.

Children got killed.

So it didn't get that much media attention, you know.

So that's the reason.

But I have to say that right now, a lot of people believe that if the world, like leaders of democratic country, if they don't take a strong action, they will open fire and the massacre going to happen.

Like 2019.

>> Like 2019.

So in terms of the Kurdish region, is the fact that the Iranians are willing to massacre people in the open public, does the rest of the Iranian population have the same level of solidarity for a minority region as they would Tehran, for example?

>> This is the first time in our history that we see a sense of unity among Kurds, Turks, Baluch, Arabs.

And it's very beautiful for the first time that you hear when people get killed in Kurdistan, in Zahedan, people chant that... [ Speaks native language ] It's a very touching and emotional slogan saying that Kurdistan, you're not alone.

Zahedan is with you.

Tehran is with you.

This is the first time.

And that unity actually scares the regime.

>> The supreme leader has taken a personal interest in you relatively recently after your appearance with my friend Bill Maher.

There was a threat that was made directly against an American agent.

He was referring to you.

>> Yeah.

>> How did you respond to that?

>> First of all, I'm not an American agent.

I have agency as a woman who grew up in the Middle East.

But if I was an American agent, I have to support the nuclear deal, no?

I was against that.

>> That just makes you a very sneaky American agent, you know?

>> [ Laughs ] I know.

Look, they call me American agent, the agent of CIA, the agent of MI6, the agent of Mossad.

I don't get it.

I mean, I don't have time to work for a different agent.

>> But they also threatened you?

>> Yes.

Not only me, my family.

They put my brother in prison for two years to punish me.

I was very depressed that time because he didn't do anything and I was under pressure to stop my work, which is giving voice to voiceless people.

They brought my mother, they -- they interrogated her, 70-year-old mother, for 2 hours to convince her to take me to Turkey.

They did everything to make me miserable.

But clearly they are scared of me and they're scared of my platform because I give voice to millions of Iranian brave leaders inside the country.

>> And you're no longer able to live in your home.

>> Yeah, I'm a village girl, you know, which my father, my mom, they were street peddlers.

They were growing vegetables and selling vegetables to the city, people in the cities.

I grew up in that community, so I made my house in Brooklyn like my village.

I planted trees after my mother's name, after my brother's name, after my father's name.

Now, I have to be even away from my garden, from my neighbors.

And I'm not as scared of my life.

But this is very scary that you see in front of the eyes of free world, the Islamic Republic sent people here in New York to kill you, to assassinate you, to kidnap you.

This is scary.

That shouldn't -- I mean, I left Iran because I wanted to use my freedom of expression here in America.

But it seems that even America is not safe.

>> So our audience understands.

I mean, you have been moved now to, if I understand, right, three different safe houses.

By the Americans.

>> I'm still living in safe houses.

>> So I can't -- You won't even tell me where you're living now.

>> No, I can't.

I can invite you -- >> No, that's okay.

>> When Islamic Republic is gone and we are safe, I can invite you to Iran.

But here, it's so sad that the word "safe" is too luxury.

Not for me.

For many Iranian dissidents, their lives are in danger.

Not even in New York.

In Canada, in Turkey, in different cities across Europe.

People are not safe.

Why?

Why?

I mean, I cannot believe that.

I mean, I'm asking why, but I know the reason.

You want me to tell you why?

>> Yeah, you might as well.

>> Because the Iranian regime, when they don't see any consequence, when they are not being punished for all the assassinations and terror attacks that they have done before, there's no reason for them to stop killing people, assassinate people, no?

I think that there are a lot the West can do to stop them.

Could do.

They didn't.

For instance, in my meeting with Secretary Pompeo, with Secretary Blinken, I met with all the leaders here, with Jake Sullivan, and I was clear that why there is no mention about human rights under 12 conditions of nuclear talk.

Why?

Why you easily bury human rights under nuclear deal?

So that's why when the Iranian regime see that still the U.S. send billions of dollars to the Revolutionary Guards, then there's no reason for them to -- >> You're talking about the unfreezing of the Iranian assets when the initial deal was signed.

>> Exactly.

Exactly.

>> Yes, okay.

>> And look, Iranian regime now is very desperate.

The only thing can make them survive, it's the U.S. government and its allies to get back to the deal.

>> And yet, you know, everything they've done on the ground to the Iranian people make it almost inconceivable that the Americans would be willing to re-sign the nuclear deal.

>> But they didn't announce it yet.

They didn't say that loud and clear that the deal is over.

>> And they should in your perspective?

>> They should, not only that, they should actually, the U.S. government must call its allies to recall their ambassadors, the leaders of G7.

>> Because the Americans do not have an ambassador there, of course.

>> I know.

In my meeting with President Macron, actually I said that -- I was angry.

I said, "Why did you shake the hand of Ebrahim Raisi, the butcher of Tehran?"

He was like, "France is all about diplomacy."

I said, "No, no, no, no."

>> Yeah, he's the one leader that keeps calling Putin.

It's true.

I mean, I see it all the time.

>> Yeah.

But I said, "France is also about revolution as well.

You can be the first country to recognize Iran's new revolution and call your allies, not only just saying that 'we stand with the people of Iran.'

we don't want you to stand.

We want you actually to sit down and recognize the revolution and meet with the leaders of oppositions."

>> And he said?

>> He said, "I'm ready to do it."

So that's the real action.

>> When was that conversation?

>> It was in Paris, like a few weeks ago.

He was the first president who recognized the revolution.

>> Any steps yet to actually reach out to the opposition?

>> Yeah.

>> He has taken those steps?

>> He actually wants me to have a delegation of opposition leaders and have a meeting and tell him what we really want.

>> Okay.

I hope that happens.

>> I hope so, because the world leaders must be prepared to accept an Iran without the Islamic Republic.

You can't have a conversation just with an illegitimate government, you have to talk to the opposition.

Venezuela, the Americans are talking to the opposition.

Russia, the Americans are talking to the opposition.

How can you not be talking to the Iranian opposition?

- Exactly!

It's a fairly obvious point.

This is the first time in the history that Macron, I mean, president of France, met with opposition.

Why?

I mean, even here, why President Biden don't meet with opposition leaders?

They only meet with like, you know, human rights activists and saying that "we stand with you."

It makes me angry.

I don't want you to stand.

Sit down and take actions because it's unbelievable.

This is a progressive revolution.

Doesn't matter whether Republicans are in power or Democrats.

It should be a bipartisan issue because an Iran without Islamic Republic can make the whole world much safer place to -- I mean, it's good for everyone in the region.

>> But you don't want the Americans necessarily calling actively for regime change in the sense that when the Iranian government is claiming that it's Saudi Arabia, it's Israel, it's the United States as foreign actors that are behind these demonstrations, it's not -- it's not the Iranian people.

>> I don't want them to bring regime change for us.

We're doing it.

>> Right.

>> We're doing it.

What I want is very clear.

When people are risking their lives and asking for regime change, you cannot patronize them and saying that, "Oh, this is your culture" or "this is internal matter," or "we don't want to touch this."

By not taking a strong action, sending billions of dollars to the Revolutionary Guards, by keeping silent, actually, you're taking side.

You know?

There is a war in Iran which being imposed by -- on Iranian people by Islamic Republic.

No?

Unarmed people getting killed.

>> Correct.

>> So when the American government still want to negotiate, still not recognizing this revolution, clearly they're taking side.

So I don't want the American government or any Western government bring democracy for us or regime change for us.

We, the people of Iran, are doing this, and I want them to recognize this revolution and to stop legitimizing one of the most barbaric regime.

Is that too much to ask?

>> What do you think it takes to actually -- domestically -- to remove this regime?

Are you hopeful?

You said it's a marathon, but are you hopeful that this theocracy will actually crumble?

>> Definitely.

Look, the Islamic Republic took everything away from us.

Everything.

Everything.

As we were talking, we don't even have a national team because being taking away from us.

Everything.

Our freedom.

Dignity.

But not hope.

Not hope.

Millions of people in Iran believe that.

The revolution already happen in their heart.

They believe that they're going to win this battle because for years and years, the regime was successful to create fear within the society.

We always had the fear inside us, but now this is the Islamic Republic.

They are scared of us.

They're scared of teenagers.

They're scared of schoolgirls.

Can you believe that?

Like schoolgirls who are being forced to cover themselves.

These days, you see that they're leading a revolution by taking off their veils and waving that, burning the headscarf.

And that means that, like, they're not going to be slaves anymore.

They're not going to obey the mullahs anymore.

This is the end for the Islamic Republic, when you see that teenagers are saying "death to dictator."

Teenagers are saying that we don't want a religious dictatorship.

>> Masih, thanks for your spirit.

>> Thank you so much.

I hope one day I really invite you to Iran.

♪♪ >> And now to another region in conflict, Ukraine.

The war there began in late winter of this year, February 24th, to be exact.

And now, 10 months into this brutal conflict, winter approaches again.

For more on what that means, here's "GZERO's" Alex Kliment.

[ Air-raid siren blares ] >> Another day in Kyiv.

An air-raid siren blares, announcing a fresh barrage of Russian missiles headed towards the Ukrainian capital.

And within moments...

In recent months, the Ukrainian military has liberated tens of thousands of square miles of territory occupied earlier in the war by Russia.

But now the people of Kyiv face perhaps their biggest test yet.

Like so many Russian leaders before him, Vladimir Putin is enlisting the help of a reliable Russian ally -- Old General Winter.

Vladimir Putin is betting that the bitter cold will freeze over Ukraine's fighting spirit.

Russian missiles have deliberately targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, reducing the country's ability to provide heat and power as nighttime temperatures dip into the teens or below.

Kyiv authorities are now rationing electricity.

And Iryna, a 25-year-old translator, says life in the city is getting harder.

She moved here from western Ukraine just before the war started.

Now, despite the challenges, she's staying put.

>> Right now we have, like, electricity outages.

We don't have electricity like perhaps three times per day, at least at my place.

So sometimes you can actually track that because there is a schedule, but sometimes you cannot.

So with not having electricity also comes not having water.

So, yeah, this is just like such a lifestyle that we -- that we follow these days.

>> Nighttime is when the cold bites hardest.

Here, Iryna sent us a voice message from the streets of a frigid, blacked-out city.

>> It's absolutely dead here.

Nothing, like no electricity, no water, no coverage.

I feel like I am living in the forest, you know?

>> But Iryna says Kyiv remains undaunted.

After all, this is a city that lived through one of the worst battles of World War II, a history that people here still remember.

>> The vanguard of the Ukrainian armies of liberation enter the burning shell of once-magnificent Kyiv.

>> We become very flexible as Ukrainians, as a nation who is having a war.

And I wouldn't say this is something very unique for us because we have such a history, you know, that many people go through such things.

And yeah.

We are tough.

>> Vladimir Putin has enlisted a formidable ally in winter.

But the resilience of Iryna and her fellow Kyivans suggests that the Russian president may yet again have underestimated his Ukrainian opponents.

Perhaps only springtime will tell.

>> Life goes on as it used to.

And if there is no power, no water, we will get through it.

This winter and the way Putin speculates was that it won't decrease, won't lessen our solidarity.

It will only make it stronger.

>> For "GZERO World," I'm Alex Kliment.

♪♪ >> That's our show this week.

Come back next week.

And if you like what you see or even if you don't, but you feel like demonstrating in solidarity, you know how you can do that?

You can check us out at gzeromedia.com.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Major corporate funding provided by founding sponsor First Republic.

At First Republic, our clients come first.

Taking the time to listen helps us provide customized banking and wealth-management solutions.

More on our clients at firstrepublic.com.

Additional funding provided by... ...and by...