The Islamic Republic’s clampdown on freedoms in an increasingly stifling environment has in recent years confined Iranians to campaigns on social media as their last resort to speak out with a minimal risk of prosecution. And the expression of anger against the coronavirus pandemic policies has been no exception. 

“Just import the vaccine,” is what furious Iranians post across social media platforms, accusing their government of dragging its feet on purchasing the internationally approved coronavirus vaccines. The campaigns were launched after Iranian officials demonstrated reluctance with confusing and often contradictory excuses, even as the country’s mortality rate is inching closer to the 55,000 mark.  

Launched Dec. 20, the Twitter storm coincided with Shabe Yalda (Yalda Night), a millennia-old Iranian festival on the longest night of the year before winter ushers in, marked especially by family gatherings and poetry readings. Yet with the deadly pandemic casting a shadow in the background, little was left for many Iranians to celebrate. Loved ones, and particularly grandparents, who once recited classical, inspiring poems for the greater family, were but empty seats, leaving behind a grim picture of just how the virus has robbed Iranians of the emotional bonds that have historically defined their very cultural identity.

“For the elderly who face imminent death,” “for the sake of the fatigued medical staff” and “for the schoolchildren who are grappling with depression,” social media users urged the government to import vaccines. The top trending Persian hashtag that translates into “buy the vaccine” did not just carry a tone of frustration and helplessness. Many of those messages were replete with scathing criticism rooted in accumulated discontent with a wide range of issues, from the government’s corruption and money laundering to its regional activities and a perceived politicized approach toward the pandemic.