‘Iran’s future belongs to its people’ – Harounoff launches Unveiled at JW3
British-Iranian journalist turned Israeli UN spokesperson says his new book reveals the gulf between Iran’s rulers and its people
Jonathan Harounoff launched his first book, Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomenLifeFreedom Revolt, at JW3 on Sunday evening in conversation with broadcaster Peter Cardwell, at an event co-presented with Jewish News.
Drawing on dozens of interviews with voices inside Iran and across its diaspora, Harounoff told the audience the work was born from a need “to show there’s a very clear distinction between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the people of Iran.”
The book opens with the September 2022 killing of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian, Mahsa Jina Amini, detained by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely. “She was taken to a detention re-education centre where she was beaten to a pulp… three days later she was officially declared dead,” Harounoff said. That moment, he writes, ignited one of the most widespread uprisings in the Republic’s 46-year history, with protests in almost all of its 31 provinces.
Unveiled moves beyond the headlines, chronicling women’s defiance, Iran’s ethnic diversity, and the precarious existence of minorities – including its 10,000-strong Jewish community, which Harounoff said may practice their faith only if they “actively take part” in anti-Israel displays. He recounts how the 12-day war with Israel triggered arrests of around 35 Iranian Jews on espionage suspicions.
Harounoff’s narrative also explores culture as resistance, from music and murals to social-media-driven protest. At JW3, he described the song Baraye – “the culmination of dozens and dozens of tweets” about why Iranians were rising – as an unofficial anthem of the movement.
The author’s own heritage – British-Israeli parents and Persian grandparents – runs through the book. “I’ve always been surrounded by Hebrew, by Farsi, by delicious Persian cuisine… and I was always curious about why there’s so much enmity between Israel and Iran,” he said, recalling the era before 1979 when the two states enjoyed direct flights and formal recognition.
When Unveiled situates the revolt in a wider history of uprisings, Harounoff insists the next turning point will come from within. He warned against foreign “meddling” but urged Western states to end enabling trade and diplomacy with Tehran, pointing to looming UN “snapback” sanctions as an opportunity to apply pressure.
Addressing the Gaza war, he told the audience: “Hamas is not interested in coming to the negotiation table,” defending Israel’s decision to expand operations to free hostages.
The evening closed with book signings, but Harounoff’s core message – embedded throughout Unveiled – lingered: Iran’s rulers may dominate the headlines, but it is the country’s resilient people who will decide its future.
To purchase Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomenLifeFreedom Revolt click here.
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