Why Ethnic Federalism Is a Bad Idea for Iran
Some Western policymakers call it “federalism.” But carving up Iran by ethnicity won’t bring democracy. It will bring militias, meddling, and mayhem. In this searing warning, Dr. Aidin Panahi argues that unity is not Iran’s problem but its greatest strength.
Dr. Aidin Panahi
Apr 10, 2025 - 5:42 PM
Share
“Draw a line on a map, and you may create a border. Draw that line along ethnicity, and you may create a battlefield.” That line once echoed through Washington policy circles - part warning, part prophecy. And yet, that’s exactly what some foreign policy advisors and think tank analysts are proposing for Iran: redraw the country’s governance structure along ethnic lines and call it federalism.
For four reasons, this idea is not only reckless but it’s dangerous.
Iran Is a Nation
First, Iran is not an artificial patchwork of tribes glued together by imperial borders. It is a nation-state with a shared civilizational identity that has endured for millennia. Its people may speak different languages and celebrate different traditions, but they have intermarried, lived side by side, and bled together on the battlefield. Walk through any Iranian city and you’ll find Azeris married to Gilakis, Lors to Kurds, Arabs to Iranians from central provinces. These aren’t isolated ethnic islands. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, expecting Arab Iranians to rise up, they didn’t. They fought alongside Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis and others from across Iran to defend the nation - not the regime, but the idea of Iran.
Federalism Would Entrench Oppression
Second, federalism does not guarantee rights, and in Iran’s context, it would almost certainly empower local autocrats. In provinces where tribal and patriarchal systems already marginalize women and minorities, devolving power would make things worse. Honor killings, forced marriages, and denial of education could become protected practices under the banner of cultural autonomy. We’ve seen this before in post-Saddam Iraq and parts of Afghanistan, where regional autonomy gave warlords and tribal chiefs free rein to ignore national laws. For the very people advocates claim to help, ethnic federalism would deepen oppression, not end it.
Third, some point to federal systems like in the United States to defend their position. But these examples don’t hold. America didn’t emerge from federalism. Federalism was the outcome of a hard-fought consensus after a war to unite disparate colonies. Even then, it nearly came apart during the Civil War. If even a young, resource-rich republic like the United States faced existential crisis under a federal model, it’s naïve to assume the same model would bring stability to a country like Iran where unity already exists and has withstood far deeper and older challenges.
Fourth, and perhaps most dangerously, ethnic federalism opens the gates to foreign interference. Fragmenting Iran into identity-based zones would hand leverage to outside actors eager to exploit internal divisions. Some entertain the idea of a disintegrated Iran because they see strategic gain. But this short-term calculus invites long-term disaster. A fractured Iran would not produce a peaceful region. It would produce a new frontline of proxy wars. The collapse of Yugoslavia didn’t bring harmony. It brought a decade of ethnic violence and war crimes. That is not a model to replicate. History shows that once you start drawing lines around identity, the map never stops bleeding.
Decentralization Without Disintegration
Iran is a nation shaped by centuries of shared heritage, made up of diverse communities—Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Gilakis, Turkmens, and many more - who have lived, worked, and built families together across every province. This diversity is real, but so is the deep integration among them. Decades of cohabitation, shared history, and intermarriage have created a national identity that transcends tribal lines. The idea that Iran can or should be broken into clean ethnic enclaves is both unrealistic and ahistorical.
Proponents of ethnic federalism often argue that such a system would protect cultural rights and linguistic freedom. These rights can, and must, be upheld in a unified Iran governed by the rule of law, not the rule of force. Protecting Kurdish language, promoting Baluchi cultural heritage, or preserving Azeri history does not require drawing new borders. It requires a new political system built on equal citizenship, cultural inclusion, and a unifying figure who can embody the nation’s continuity, dignity, and shared identity.
None of this is to deny that ethnic minorities in Iran have suffered. They have. Economic neglect and political exclusion are real. But the answer is not dismemberment. The answer is a change in regime, one that respects the rights of all Iranians equally.
Iran needs decentralization, not federal disintegration. Local governance should be strengthened, not splintered. Cultural rights should be protected within a national framework. Economic development must reach every corner of the country. That is the path to justice and stability.
When Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman from Kurdistan, was murdered for violating the regime’s hijab laws, it wasn’t just Kurds who took to the streets. Iranians of every background stood together in protest. They did not demand ethnic autonomy. They demanded dignity. That unity wasn’t imposed, it was organic. That is the Iran worth saving.
A Fractured Iran Is a Regional Nightmare in the Making
Iran's future matters not just to Iranians, but to the entire Middle East. A free, unified, democratic Iran could be a stabilizing force - a partner in regional peace, energy cooperation, and counterterrorism. But a fractured Iran? That’s a recipe for open conflict, regional spillover, and the empowerment of the very extremist groups policymakers claim to fear.
These aren't just provinces on a map; they are homes, memories, and shared lives. Iran is not a museum of tribes to be categorized by foreign policy theorists who confuse Google Maps with geopolitical understanding. It is a living, evolving nation. Federalism won't fix it. It will fracture it. Do we really want a divided Iran, with more militias, more borders, and more chaos in the region?
To every Western policymaker tempted to experiment with Iran’s borders, remember: unity is not the enemy of diversity. It’s the condition for its survival. The future of Iran lies not in drawing new lines, but in healing the ones that already exist.
Share
Dr. Aidin Panahi
Research Professor | Energy Expert