Why Iran (Not Israel) Is an Apartheid State and How They Cover It Up

By Dr. Tim Orr

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a regime that enforces systemic discrimination against its people based on religion, ethnicity, gender, and political ideology. While many associate apartheid with South Africa’s segregationist system, Iran’s deeply rooted policies of exclusion and repression meet the definition of apartheid as recognized under international law. Simultaneously, Iran exports its supremacist ideology by pursuing a genocidal agenda against Israel and the Jewish people. This article provides a detailed exploration of Iran’s religious, ethnic, and gender apartheid, exposing the regime’s efforts to marginalize, silence, and erase entire groups, both within its borders and beyond.

What is an Apartheid State

I cite the International Criminal Court's (ICC) definition of apartheid despite having zero respect for this organization, especially following their decision on November 21, 2024, to issue arrest warrants for war crimes for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to the ICC’s interpretation under the Rome Statute, apartheid refers to “inhumane acts of a similar character to other crimes against humanity, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another.” While I acknowledge this legal definition for the sake of argument, I find the ICC's selective application of justice deeply flawed and untrustworthy.

Is Israel an Apartheid State

The definition of apartheid does not apply to Israel because there is no institutionalized regime of racial or religious domination. Israeli Arabs, who make up 20% of the population, enjoy full citizenship rights. They can vote, run for office, and serve in the Israeli Knesset, where Arab political parties are represented. Arabs actively participate in public life as judges, military officers, and professors. There are no laws or policies barring Arabs or Muslims from holding positions in government or society, reflecting Israel's commitment to inclusion.

Israel also provides judicial and legal protections that ensure equal rights for all citizens, regardless of race or religion. Where discrimination arises, it is addressed through the courts, demonstrating a functioning legal system that holds institutions accountable. For example, Israeli courts have ruled against discriminatory practices in areas such as housing and employment, further ensuring that equal rights are protected under the law.

The situation in the West Bank and Gaza stems from a territorial and security conflict, not racial domination. The West Bank operates under the Oslo Accords, which granted Palestinian self-governance in cities like Ramallah and Bethlehem, while Hamas, not Israel, governs Gaza. Security measures, such as checkpoints and barriers, are implemented to address terrorism and security threats, not as tools of racial or religious supremacy. Additionally, Israel does not seek to erase its minority groups; Israeli Arabs continue to grow demographically, and the government invests in Arab education and healthcare infrastructure. This stands in stark contrast to Iran's systemic persecution of religious and ethnic minorities.

Is Iran an Apartheid State

The Islamic Republic of Iran is, without question, an apartheid state. It enforces a system of oppression, exclusion, and domination that targets anyone who doesn’t align with its rigid ideology. Religious minorities like the Baha’is, Christians, Sunni Muslims, and Jews are denied basic rights and stripped of their political voice. At the same time, ethnic groups like the Kurds, Arabs, and Baluchis face economic neglect, cultural erasure, and even violent crackdowns. Women, too, are forced into a second-class status under patriarchal laws that control nearly every aspect of their lives. These aren’t isolated incidents—they’re part of a broader, systematic effort to dominate and marginalize entire groups of people. By any fair standard, this fits the UN’s definition of apartheid. What makes it even more troubling is that Iran doesn’t stop at its borders; it uses these same tactics of division and suppression to export its ideology, spreading instability and suffering across the region.

Religious Apartheid: The Systematic Persecution of Religious Minorities

Religious apartheid is fundamental to the ideology of the Islamic Republic. Iran’s constitution declares Twelver Shiite Islam as the state religion, enshrining discrimination against other faiths. Non-Muslims and even Sunni Muslims are treated as inferior, with systemic policies ensuring they remain politically powerless, economically marginalized, and culturally erased.

The Baha’is: A Genocide in Slow Motion

The Baha’i community, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, has been the target of an unrelenting campaign of persecution since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Iranian government officially considers the Baha’i faith to be sinful and “corrupt on earth” (ifsad fil-arz), a charge punishable by death under Iran’s legal system. This persecution takes many forms:

Education: Baha’i youth are systematically barred from higher education. Universities expel students identified as Baha’i, forcing many to rely on underground educational networks such as the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). In a 2021 raid, Iranian authorities arrested teachers and students associated with BIHE, describing their peaceful activities as a threat to state security.
Employment: Baha’is are routinely denied employment in both public and private sectors. Employers are pressured to fire Baha’i employees, while business licenses are revoked for those who attempt to operate independently.
Property Seizures and Violence: Entire Baha’i villages, such as Ivel in Mazandaran province, have been bulldozed to the ground. Homes are confiscated, and families are forced into homelessness. Baha’i cemeteries are often destroyed as a symbolic attempt to erase their legacy.

The regime’s systematic targeting of Baha’is—including mass imprisonment, torture, and extrajudicial killings—constitutes what many international observers have labeled a “slow-motion genocide.”

Christians: Apostasy and Repression

Iran’s persecution of Christians focuses primarily on converts from Islam, as conversion is viewed as a direct challenge to the Islamic Republic’s authority. The regime considers conversion an act of apostasy, punishable by death under Islamic law. While ethnic Christian communities (such as Armenians and Assyrians) are allowed to practice their faith, they are forbidden from proselytizing or allowing converts to worship with them.

House Churches: With public worship tightly restricted, Christian converts rely on underground house churches, which are often raided by Iranian security forces. Pastors and leaders face imprisonment, torture, and harassment. For example, Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz and his family were arrested for hosting prayer gatherings and sentenced to lengthy prison terms under charges of “propaganda against the regime.”
Harsh Penalties for Women: Female converts face additional brutality. Women like Maryam Naghash Zargaran were imprisoned in horrific conditions for leading prayer groups. Accounts of psychological torture and denial of medical care reveal the extent of the regime’s inhumanity.

Jews: The Persecuted “Useful Minority”

While Iran’s Jewish community has survived, largely due to its historical presence, Jews are treated with suspicion and kept under constant surveillance. Iranian Jews are regularly subjected to antisemitic rhetoric from the state and accusations of Zionist allegiance. This environment has led to a massive decline in Iran’s Jewish population—from around 100,000 before the revolution to fewer than 10,000 today.

In 1999, 13 Jews from Shiraz were falsely accused of espionage for Israel and sentenced to sham trials. Although some sentences were later reduced due to international pressure, the incident highlighted the precarious position of Jews in Iran.
Iranian media and political leaders routinely promote antisemitic conspiracy theories, accusing Jews of orchestrating everything from economic crises to political instability.

Sunni Muslims: Marginalized and Targeted

Despite being fellow Muslims, Iran’s Sunni minority—concentrated in provinces like Sistan-Baluchestan, Kurdistan, and Khuzestan—faces discrimination at every level. Sunni mosques are banned in major cities like Tehran, and Sunni clerics are regularly arrested under false accusations of promoting “extremism.”

Zahedan Massacre: On September 30, 2022, Iranian forces opened fire on Sunni worshipers in Zahedan, killing nearly 100 people. The massacre was part of a brutal crackdown on Sunni protests over state neglect and systemic abuse.
Economic Neglect: Sunni-majority regions remain among the poorest in Iran. Despite Sistan-Baluchestan being resource-rich, its infrastructure is among the worst in the country, with limited access to clean water, education, or healthcare.

Ethnic Apartheid: The Erasure and Marginalization of Non-Persian Peoples

Iran’s ethnic minorities—including Kurds, Arabs, Azeris, and Baluchis—constitute nearly 40% of its population but remain politically, culturally, and economically marginalized. The regime enforces a Persian-centric identity through forced assimilation and violent repression, particularly in regions with strong local identities.

Kurds: Systematic Suppression and Violence

The Kurdish population in Iran, concentrated in the western provinces, faces disproportionate poverty, executions, and repression. Kurdish cultural and political expression is criminalized:

Cultural Suppression: Teaching the Kurdish language in schools is prohibited. Publications, media, or artistic expressions in Kurdish are heavily censored.
Executions and Crackdowns: Iran routinely executes Kurdish activists under accusations of “separatism” or “terrorism.” In 2018, Kurdish political prisoners Ramin Hossein Panahi, Loghman Moradi, and Zanyar Moradi were executed after enduring years of torture.

Arabs of Khuzestan: Economic Disenfranchisement

Khuzestan, home to Iran’s Arab minority, is one of the country’s most resource-rich regions, producing a significant portion of Iran’s oil. However, the Arab population lives in dire poverty.

Environmental Destruction: Arab farmers suffer from state-induced water shortages caused by dam construction and mismanagement. This has sparked widespread protests, such as the 2021 demonstrations, which the regime crushed by killing and arresting dozens of protesters.
Cultural Denial: The Arabic language is suppressed in education and media, and Arab activists are routinely arrested or disappeared for advocating cultural and linguistic rights.

The Baluchis: Extreme Poverty and State Violence

The Baluchi people residing in Sistan-Baluchestan face systemic neglect and extrajudicial killings. Despite its strategic location and natural resources, the province remains the most underdeveloped in Iran. Iranian forces frequently conduct “security operations” under the guise of combating terrorism, often killing civilians.

Gender Apartheid: Enforced Subjugation of Women

Iran’s gender apartheid is rooted in its patriarchal interpretation of Islamic law, which reduces women to second-class citizens. Women face legal, economic, and cultural restrictions that deny them autonomy and equal opportunity.

The Hijab as a Tool of Control: Mandatory hijab laws symbolize the regime’s control over women. Women who resist face imprisonment, beatings, and even death. The killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022 exposed the brutality of the so-called “morality police” and ignited widespread protests led by women.
Legal Inequality: A woman’s testimony in court is worth half that of a man’s, inheritance rights are limited, and women cannot travel or study abroad without male permission.
Barriers to Employment: Women face systemic exclusion from leadership roles and certain professions despite being a significant part of Iran’s educated population.

Iran’s gender apartheid reflects a broader authoritarian strategy: controlling women allows the regime to maintain power over families and society at large.

Iran’s Genocidal Agenda: War on Israel and the Jews

Iran’s apartheid policies extend beyond its borders, as the Islamic Republic actively pursues the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. This genocidal agenda is rooted in the revolutionary ideology established by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, which framed Israel as a religious and ideological enemy of Islam—unlike the Shah of Iran, who maintained diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, Khomeini’s regime redefined the Jewish state as the “Little Satan” (with the United States as the “Great Satan”), portraying its existence as an affront to Islam and a threat to Iranian hegemony. This shift transformed Iran into the world’s leading state sponsor of antisemitism and terrorism, with the ultimate goal of wiping Israel off the map.

The Role of Ideology: From Religious Hatred to Geopolitical Strategy

Iran’s hostility toward Israel is not merely geopolitical but deeply ideological. Khomeini’s revolutionary doctrine fused Islamic eschatology with antisemitic narratives, positioning the destruction of Israel as a divine mandate. Iran’s state media and political leaders routinely invoke Qur’anic verses and Hadiths to justify this stance, equating Jews and Zionists with corruption and oppression.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has carried forward Khomeini’s ideology, repeatedly calling for Israel’s annihilation. In 2020, Khamenei described Israel as a “cancerous tumor” that must be “cut off and eradicated.” In a chilling echo of Nazi rhetoric, Khamenei proposed a “final solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, underscoring the regime’s genocidal intent. These statements are not isolated propaganda; they reflect state policy and are amplified through Iran’s military strategy, funding of proxy groups, and pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Exporting Genocide: Iran’s Network of Terrorist Proxies

Iran’s genocidal ambitions are operationalized through its extensive funding, arming, and training of terrorist proxies across the Middle East. By outsourcing its war on Israel to regional militant groups, Iran avoids direct confrontation while maintaining plausible deniability on the world stage.

Hezbollah in Lebanon: Established with Iranian support in 1982, Hezbollah is the most powerful proxy in Iran’s network. With billions of dollars in funding, advanced weaponry, and ideological alignment, Hezbollah operates as Iran’s frontline force against Israel. Hezbollah’s arsenal now includes over 150,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking deep into Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv.
- The 2006 Lebanon War, during which Hezbollah launched thousands of rockets into civilian areas, showcased the group’s role in Iran’s broader strategy of terror. Since then, Hezbollah has expanded its military capabilities, with Iranian trainers providing advanced guidance on drone and missile technology.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza: Iran provides substantial financial, military, and logistical support to Palestinian terrorist organizations like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). These groups reject Israel’s right to exist and prioritize violent “resistance” over peaceful coexistence.
- In 2021, Iran-backed Hamas launched over 4,000 rockets into Israel during an 11-day conflict, targeting civilian infrastructure, schools, and homes. Iranian officials publicly praised the attacks, referring to them as a “victory” in their war against Zionism.
- Iran’s support extends beyond weapons; it provides ideological guidance, framing the conflict as a religious struggle that necessitates Israel’s destruction.
Houthi Rebels in Yemen: Iran’s funding and arming of the Houthi rebels in Yemen has transformed them into a regional proxy capable of targeting Israel. In recent years, the Houthis have launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, demonstrating Iran’s strategy of surrounding the Jewish state with hostile forces.

Iran’s Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons: A Strategic Threat

At the heart of Iran’s genocidal ambitions lies its clandestine nuclear program. Despite its repeated denials, evidence—including reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and intelligence leaks—indicates Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons capability. While Iran insists its program is for “peaceful purposes,” statements from its leadership reveal a darker intent.

In 2018, Israeli intelligence uncovered Iran’s secret nuclear archives, which included blueprints for warheads and ballistic missile delivery systems.
Iran’s continued development of long-range ballistic missiles, such as the Shahab-3 and Khoramshahr, underscores its desire to strike targets far beyond its borders, particularly Israel.

The regime’s nuclear ambitions are particularly alarming given its genocidal rhetoric. A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat not only to Israel but to regional stability as a whole. Israel has repeatedly warned that it will not allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons capability, leading to a precarious standoff between the two states.

Antisemitic Propaganda: Indoctrinating Hatred at Home and Abroad

Iran uses state-controlled media, education systems, and international platforms to propagate antisemitic narratives and normalize hatred of Jews. Textbooks in Iranian schools depict Jews as treacherous enemies of Islam, reinforcing antisemitic stereotypes from an early age. State television regularly broadcasts conspiracy theories, blaming Jews and Israel for Iran’s economic and social problems.

Iran also seeks to export its antisemitic ideology abroad, particularly to regions where its proxies operate. Iranian funding supports Arabic-language media outlets that promote Holocaust denial, antisemitic tropes, and incitement against Israel. In 2006, Iran hosted the infamous “International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust,” inviting Holocaust deniers from around the world to question the historical reality of the Holocaust.

Through these efforts, Iran has positioned itself as the global leader of antisemitic extremism, influencing both regional politics and far-left or far-right movements in the West that adopt anti-Zionist rhetoric.

How Iran’s Genocidal Agenda Aligns with Its Geopolitical Strategy

While Iran frames its hostility toward Israel as a religious and moral struggle, its actions also serve clear geopolitical interests. By presenting itself as the leader of the “resistance” against Israel and Western powers, Iran seeks to expand its influence across the Muslim world.

Iran’s proxies allow it to project power across the region without engaging in direct military conflict. By destabilizing neighboring countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, Iran creates an “arc of influence” that surrounds Israel.
Iran exploits the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to gain legitimacy among Arab populations and deflect attention from its internal repression. This strategy positions Iran as a defender of Palestine while masking its oppression of its minorities, such as Arabs in Khuzestan.

However, Iran’s genocidal rhetoric and actions reveal the hollowness of its claims. Its support for Hamas and PIJ has worsened Palestinian suffering, as these groups prioritize Iran’s ideological goals over the well-being of their people. Similarly, Iran’s destabilization of Lebanon through Hezbollah has plunged the country into economic collapse, with ordinary Lebanese citizens paying the price for Iran’s regional ambitions.

Conclusion: Iran’s Threat to Israel and the World

Iran’s apartheid system, whether religious, ethnic, or gender-based, reflects a deliberate strategy to homogenize its population, suppress dissent, and enforce ideological conformity. These policies have devastated millions of lives, while Iran’s leaders mask their crimes through propaganda and diversion, claiming to champion justice abroad while perpetrating oppression at home.

Iran’s war on Israel and the Jewish people is not merely political; it is a genocidal agenda rooted in revolutionary ideology and antisemitic hatred. By funding and arming terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, Iran exports violence while advancing its broader goal of Israel’s annihilation. Coupled with its nuclear ambitions, Iran represents an existential threat to Israel and a destabilizing force across the Middle East.

Simultaneously, Iran’s propaganda machine allows it to mask these intentions, presenting itself as a champion of Palestinian rights while spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and terrorizing its people. Recognizing Iran’s genocidal agenda and holding the regime accountable is essential to countering its influence, protecting Israel, and ensuring stability in the region. The world cannot afford to ignore the gravity of Iran’s intentions and actions, which endanger not only Israel but the global order itself.

References

Amnesty International. (2021). Iran: Persecution of religious minorities continues unabated. Amnesty International. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org

Cook, D. (2005). Understanding jihad. University of California Press.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (2018). Iran nuclear archive and its implications. IAEA Reports.

Khamenei, A. (2020, May 22). The final solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Retrieved from Khamenei.ir

Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). (2006). Iran's Holocaust denial conference: A platform for antisemitic narratives. MEMRI Reports.

United Nations. (1973). International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. United Nations Treaty Collection.

U.S. Department of State. (2021). 2021 Report on international religious freedom: Iran. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

World Bahá’í Community. (2021). Systematic persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran. Bahá'í International Community Reports.

Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.