Khamenei pushes population growth at expense of women’s health

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has directed the minister of health to intensify efforts to remove obstacles to population growth, which will infringe on women's personal freedoms and health.

Following Khamenei's 2021 directive, the Rejuvenation of the Population and Protection of the Family (RPPF) law was enacted, banning the provision and education of contraceptives in health centers across Iran. The law criminalizes the use of contraceptives, prohibits sterilization, and imposes harsh restrictions on pregnancy screening, despite risks to maternal and infant health.

Khamenei's obsession with increasing Iran's population, to avoid an aging demographic crisis, has led to policies that disregard the well-being of women and children, experts say. During a Tuesday meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian and his cabinet, Khamenei issued a series of directives, with a particular focus on the so-called "danger of early population aging." He singled out the newly appointed Minister of Health, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi—who received the lowest vote of confidence in parliament—to ensure enforcement of these policies.

Under the RPPF, all forms of contraceptive distribution, including free and subsidized options, have been halted, and any recommendation for their use has been criminalized. The law also bans pregnancy screenings unless parents explicitly request them or a gynecologist deems them necessary, but even then, stringent conditions apply. As a result, government support and insurance for pregnancy screenings have been withdrawn, leaving women, particularly in rural areas, vulnerable to forced pregnancies and birth complications.

Despite the ministry of health's statement that no increase in fetal abnormalities has been reported following the reduction of 200,000 pregnancy screenings in three years, independent reports paint a more alarming picture. Etemad newspaper in Tehran and Iran International have highlighted the rise in chromosomal disorders and the birth of an estimated 180,000 disabled and genetically impaired infants due to such policies.

Iran's population growth rate has plummeted to 0.6 percent from 1.23 percent just two years ago, a stark contrast to the 4.21 percent rate seen in 1984. Yet, Khamenei remains fixated on increasing the population to 150 million by 2050, ignoring the profound human cost of his policies. This relentless push for population growth, at the expense of individual rights and health, reveals the Islamic Republic's disregard for the welfare of its citizens, particularly women and children, in its pursuit of ideological goals.