Iranians speaking in confidence to the JC have given a cautious welcome to Benjamin Netanyahu saying they have a “once in a lifetime opportunity to gain freedom”.
The message from the Israeli prime minister direct to the people of Iran comes amid the ongoing joint air campaign with the US against the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu said: “We are waging a historic war for liberty. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to remove the Ayatollah regime and gain your freedom.
“In the coming days we will create the conditions for you to grasp your destiny. When the time is right, and that time is fast approaching, we will pass the torch to you.
“Be ready to seize the moment.”
His rhetoric appeared to encourage a revolt against the regime, after thousands of demonstrators were killed by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunmen in January.
Speaking to the JC from Iran, a young veterinarian, Saeed, responded to the Israeli prime minister’s words, saying: “If Netanyahu asks people to pour into the streets, they will.
“People are angry. They are still in shock and mourning after what happened in January, and they are ready to attack regime institutions if they feel it is safe for them to do so.”
He added: “If Netanyahu continues striking the IRGC, I am sure they will become totally paralysed.”
Other Iranians were more cautious, after Supreme Leader Ali Khameini was killed and replaced by his equally hardline son, Mojtaba.
One woman who wishes to remain anonymous said: “I do not think people will come out immediately after the war.
“People are still in shock. There is a lot to process. The killing of Khamenei was a massive moment, but people have not absorbed it yet. We all hated his son and always said we would never accept him as supreme leader.”
She believes any uprising may take time.
“People first need to experience what a post war Islamic Republic looks like. Then another trigger will be needed to bring them back to the streets.
“If the war ends now, people will try to rebuild their lives first. Then the usual problems of spring and summer will return. The morality police targeting women, power outages, drought, rising inflation, and a regime that feels insecure and cracks down even harder. That could turn into the final battle.”
Iranian public opinion more widely appears mixed. Life has largely paused since the beginning of the war. Banking systems are not functioning, many workplaces are closed, and sleep has been disrupted not only by airstrikes but also by pro regime groups roaming neighbourhoods at night with loudspeakers, chanting slogans and threatening potential protesters.
The internet has been shut down and telecommunications have been widely disrupted.
Many Iranians who were angry and grieving after thousands of protesters were killed are now watching events unfold and waiting to see the outcome. The timing is significant: Iran is less than ten days away from Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which traditionally begins a two week national holiday.
The authorities have responded to talk of protest by threatening the lives of anyone taking to the streets to demonstrate.
Islamic Republic police commander in chief Ahmadreza Radan said: “Our forces have their fingers on the trigger.” He announced the arrest of 81 people accused of “disturbing public opinion.”
One state television presenter vowed that anyone attempting to protest would be taught “a harsh lesson,” punctuating the threat with profanity directed at potential demonstrators.
Along with the aggressive invective is a propaganda news operation telling a story of the war in which Iran is on top.
“Most Intense Wave of Operation True Promise 4 Launched against US and Israeli Targets,” proclaimed the IRGC linked Tasnim News Agency. Another headline claimed: “IRGC Strike on US Base in Kuwait Leaves 100 American Troops Injured.”
Days earlier, the same outlet reported that Netanyahu might have been killed in missile strikes.
State television has focused heavily on regime organised displays of public support. Coverage has centred on mass gatherings and funeral ceremonies for senior commanders killed in the fighting, including today’s burial, which state media claimed drew hundreds of thousands of mourners.
Official have begun lavishing praise on the newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Yet he has not been seen in public since his appointment, nor has he issued a message acknowledging either his elevation to the role or the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years.
But ordinary Iranians are seeing the reality of the war in videos circulating on social media, posted by their fellow citizens who still retain access to the internet.
They show near constant airstrikes across the country, day and night. Military installations and local IRGC bases responsible for internal security have repeatedly been targeted. Several of these were the same bases used earlier this year to suppress protests in January. Many now appear to have been destroyed.
Statements made by American and Israeli officials are often heard through international satellite broadcasts watched secretly in private homes.
“President Trump said the war is going to end soon,” said one young businessman who hopes the war will ultimately end the regime.
“I was hoping the Americans had a solid plan. If they stop the attacks now, the regime will not collapse,” he said. “It will become a wounded monster and it will kill more citizens to stay in power.”
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