This resolution strongly condemns the Government of Iran for its brutal suppression of the right of Iranians to peacefully assemble, citing the regime's violent response to widespread protests that began in December 2025 over economic hardship. The protests, which spread across all 31 provinces, were met with severe repression, including near-total internet blackouts and threats of capital offenses for participants. As of February 2026, reports indicated thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, with security forces using live ammunition against protestors and overwhelming medical facilities. The resolution details the Iranian regime's consistent history of violently cracking down on dissent, including extrajudicial killings , forced disappearances , and torture , as seen in past protests in 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019, and 2022. It emphasizes that the regime continues to persecute citizens through various means, such as: severe restrictions on free expression internet blackouts and censorship arbitrary detention and imprisonment The Senate commends the bravery of the Iranian people, calls on the Government of Iran to hold free and fair elections, and supports bringing human rights violators to justice.