The Iranian Green Movement (Persian: جنبش سبز ایران), also known as the Persian Awakening by the western media, refers to a political movement that arose after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, in which protesters demanded the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. Green was initially used as the symbol of Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign, but after the election it became the symbol of unity and hope for those asking for annulment of what they regarded as a fraudulent election. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are recognized as political leaders of the Green Movement.Hossein-Ali Montazeri was also mentioned as spiritual leader of the movement.
The Green Movement protests were a major event in Iran's modern political history and observers claimed that protests were the largest since the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979.
Ahmadinejad was winning by a landslide, though Mousavi and others believed the results were fraudulent. They suggested that the Interior Minister, Sadegh Mahsouli, an ally of Ahmadinejad, had interfered with the election and distorted the votes to keep Ahmadinejad in power. Mousavi then claimed victory, and called for his supporters to celebrate it which led to the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests.
"Previously, he was revolutionary, because everyone inside the system was a revolutionary. But now he's a reformer. Now he knows Gandhi – before he knew only Che Guevara. If we gain power through aggression we would have to keep it through aggression. That is why we're having a green revolution, defined by peace and democracy."