A lot has been written on Iran during the last six months except for one thing: its minorities. Apart from a statement by President Donald Trump during the initial stages of the conflict about arming the Iranian Kurds, the issue has attracted little attention. That omission matters. The rights of Iran’s minorities must be central to any serious discussion of the country’s future.

Trump rightfully supported the pro-democracy protests in January, which led to brutal state crackdowns and thousands of deaths. The subsequent attacks were also partially motivated by keeping his promise to help the protesters, though extreme state brutality defused any chance of a popular uprising. Yet even in this discussion, the notable omission has been Iran’s minorities, who face a perpetual crackdown and have been on the receiving end of state oppression for centuries.