The people of Iran live in poverty and suffer repression and injustice. Daily life for millions is struggle for survival. When people have nothing to lose, the balance of power changes. Fear no longer works as a tool of control.
The collective consciousness of the Iranian people has reached a conclusion. There can be no result now short of revolution. Reform, dialogue, and appeasement have all failed. Unlike previous protests, this is not a reaction to a single event. Rather, it builds upon networks formed across the country, and various groups and leaders are guiding and mobilizing their followers within their communities.
There can be no result now short of revolution. Reform, dialogue, and appeasement have all failed.
This decentralized structure is why the regime has been unable to contain the revolution. There is no single leader to arrest, no central command to dismantle. Multiple organized groups are operating simultaneously, each reinforcing the other. The regime is aware of this reality, which is why it has resorted to mass killings as its final measure to save itself from collapse.
According to reports cited by major international media outlets, the death toll is likely between 12,000 and 20,000 people. While Iran is under a near-total internet blackout, the videos and images that continue to emerge support these figures. The internet blackout itself is a tactic designed to hide mass killing from the world.
The Islamic Republic managed to keep the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Asaad in power for over twelve years by massacring more than a half-million people and displacing over 13 million others. The international community’s failure to act allowed those crimes to continue. Iran now stands at risk of following the same path, this time against its own civilians.
Only days after imposing the internet blackout, Iran’s supreme leader addressed the nation. He stated that this revolution is based on blood and made clear that mass killing is necessary to preserve the regime. This reflected orders given to his armed forces.
The Iranian people are resisting. Courage alone cannot stop bullets. They need decisive international military support. Without military intervention, the regime will continue killing with impunity.
Decisive international action would have two immediate effects. First, it would neutralize the regime’s ability to carry out large-scale repression. Second, it would instill fear within the ruling apparatus by demonstrating that the people of Iran are not isolated. Once the regime understands that protesters are not defenseless, the dynamics of power change.
Any individual, institution, or government that continues to maintain relations with this regime is a partner in its crimes.
Such action would also provide a psychological boost to the Iranian people. Even small gestures of international support, such President Donald Trump’s social media posts, motivate. At the same time, opposition leaders must focus on what unites the people. The point of unity is clear: the fall of the regime and the return of freedom.
Debates about what or who will replace the regime are premature and damaging. Only a democratic process led by the Iranian people themselves can resolve this debate. Introducing them now fractures unity and weakens the revolution.
The world must also maintain its attention. Losing focus would be a betrayal of those risking and losing their lives. Any individual, institution, or government that continues to maintain relations with this regime is a partner in its crimes. There are no gray zones.
The struggle of the Iranian people extends beyond their own borders. They are not only fighting for their own freedom; they are confronting an ideology that has spread across the region, undermining security, stability, and human values. In this sense, the people of Iran are not just victims. They are also defenders of global peace, safety, and security.
History will remember who stood with them and who chose to look away.
