جنبش سبز — نخستین قیام مدرن ایران (۲۰۰۹–۲۰۱۱)
The Iranian Green Movement (Jonbesh-e Sabz) emerged after the disputed presidential election of June 12, 2009, in which incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was officially declared the winner over reformist candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Evidence of massive election fraud triggered the largest popular uprising in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
Millions of Iranians, wearing green (the color of the Mousavi campaign), flooded Tehran and other cities for weeks chanting 'Where is my vote?' (Rai-e man koja ast?). The regime's brutal crackdown — using Basij militia and IRGC forces — killed dozens and arrested thousands. The death of Neda Agha-Soltan, shot in the street and filmed dying on video, became a global symbol.
The movement was eventually suppressed, with leaders Mousavi and Karroubi placed under house arrest in 2011 (where they remain today). But it planted the seeds of all subsequent uprisings. A generation of Iranians learned that the Islamic Republic would not reform from within. This realization directly shaped the more radical demands of the 2019 and 2022-2026 uprisings.
The Green Movement (2009) was a mass uprising in Iran triggered by the disputed presidential election results. Millions protested the fraudulent re-election of Ahmadinejad, demanding their votes be counted. It was brutally suppressed, killing dozens and imprisoning thousands.
Neda Agha-Soltan was a 26-year-old Iranian woman shot and killed during the 2009 Green Movement protests in Tehran. Her death was filmed by bystanders and the video went viral worldwide, making her the face of the Iranian freedom movement.