Iran News and Discussions

[Manish_P]

Nope... i keep well away from all of them for the sake of my own praan

[Tanaji]

Borrowing from an illustrious ex forumite, if my aunt were a man, she would be my uncle!

If my chacha wore a burkha, would he be my Khala?

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 055503.cms

If mother had wheels she would be a bike:

https://youtu.be/A-RfHC91Ewc

[Manish_P]

If mother had wheels she would be a bike:

Yes.. had seen that a few years ago if memory serves correctly

BTW i might be mistaken but the esteemed BRF-ites (IIRC it was the good Hakim) exact words were - "If my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle"

And i gave the burkha clad example specifically here in the Iran thread because that is the choice of apparels for mujahids to escape the warzone - be it Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Filistine ityadi ityadi. Be they Al Qaeda, taliban, ISIS, Hamas... just a form of visual Taqqiya - allowed for the pious muslims to escape persecution by the kaafirs/infidels

[uddu]

Seems Iran is finished.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry Hit as Israel Targets Tehran In Fresh Wave of Strikes | 4k
An Iranian Intelligence building was hit near the Shahid Hemmat Highway as the IDF said it had "launched a wide-scale wave of strikes against the Iranian regime’s infrastructure across Tehran."

[uddu]

Iran Fighter Jet | How Israeli F-35 Hunted And Downed Iranian Yak-130 Jet
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released dramatic footage showing an aerial interception in which an Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet shoots down an Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft. The video reportedly captures the full “hunt and hit” sequence of the engagement, highlighting the escalating aerial confrontation between Israel and Iran as tensions continue to intensify.

[uddu]

Iran Says It Could Abandon Nuclear Program if US Makes the Right Offer | News18 | israeliranwar
Iran’s deputy foreign minister says Tehran could abandon its nuclear program if the United States presents a “satisfactory” alternative offer. The statement signals a potential diplomatic opening amid escalating tensions and ongoing negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear activities.

[uddu]

Israel's Isfahan Shocker: Watch IDF Spot, Track & Then Blow Up Iran’s Ballistic Missiles Launcher
Israel's Isfahan Shocker: Watch IDF Spot, Track & Then Blow Up Iran’s Ballistic Missiles Launcher

IDF's F-35I Adir jets deliver Isfahan precision nightmare—viral footage captures real-time spotting, laser-tracking & fiery annihilation of Iran's Ghadr-110 ballistic missile launchers at critical nuclear-adjacent facility! Operation Roaring Lion Day 6 obliterates 400+ IRGC platforms capable of Israel-range devastation, gutting Tehran's post-Khamenei revenge arsenal in largest IAF sortie ever.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2029440910443069952
@rishibagree
Two Indian sailors including Captain Ashish Kumar of the SKYLIGHT oil tanker were killed after their ship was hit by an Iranian projectile on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz.

And some idiots want the Indian Navy to protect Iranian ships in the international waters.

[uddu]

New satellite images show what happened to Iranian military bases| Maktoob
Satellite imagery shows damage at multiple military sites across Iran following an airstrike campaign by the United States and Israel. Images captured by Vantor on March 4 reveal destruction at Konarak Naval Base, Konarak Drone Base, Konarak Air Base, the Iranian Air Force Complex in Tehran, Garmdareh Missile Base, and Khorramabad Missile Base. Earlier images from January 8 to February 27 show the facilities before the strikes.

[uddu]

Iran STRIKES Azerbaijan Airport With Shahed Drones in CHILLING Video; 10+ Nation Attacked in 6 Days
A Shahed-136 drone strike has reportedly hit Nakhchivan International Airport in Azerbaijan, causing damage to the terminal and sparking fires at the site. Officials say the drone was launched from across the border, with its flight path suggesting a deliberate approach toward the airport. Another drone reportedly crashed near a school in Shekerabad village, raising concerns about civilian safety.

Two civilians were injured in the airport blast. Azerbaijan condemned the incident as a violation of international law and summoned Iran’s ambassador in Baku to lodge a formal protest, warning that the attack heightens tensions in an already fragile regional security environment.

[uddu]

Iran launches missile with one-ton warheads at Israeli airport
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it launched ballistic missiles carrying one-ton explosive warheads at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport earlier this morning.


In a statement, the IRGC said that at dawn it fired Khorramshahr-4 missiles toward “the heart of Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, and the Israeli Air Force’s 27th Squadron base located at the airport.”

[uddu]

Iran Releases Video Of Khorramshahr 4 Superheavy Missile Launch Toward Israel Carrying 1-Ton Warhead
Iran has released dramatic footage of the Khorramshahr-4 super heavy missile launch, reportedly fired toward Israeli territory. According to reports, the missile carries a one-ton warhead.

[chetak]

princess, for years your bro has been asking the same people to intervene in a sovereign country called India. Remember...............

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra@priyankagandhi

The targetted assassination of the leadership of a sovereign nation by the so called leaders of the democratic world and the killing of multitudes of innocent people is despicable and deserves strong condemnation, no matter what the proclaimed reason for it is.

It is tragic that multiple nations have now been dragged into conflict.

The world needs peace not more unnecessary wars. Those in charge of it would do well to remember Mahatma Gandhi’s words: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

I do hope that having genuflected before the Prime Minister of Israel and President Trump, our Prime Minister makes every effort to bring all Indian citizens in the affected countries back home to safety.

[A_Gupta]

$1 USD = 1,313,863 IRR as of Feb 27.

$1 USD = 1,315,669 IRR as of Mar 4.

[uddu]

princess, for years your bro has been asking the same people to intervene in a sovereign country called India. Remember...............

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra@priyankagandhi

The targetted assassination of the leadership of a sovereign nation by the so called leaders of the democratic world and the killing of multitudes of innocent people is despicable and deserves strong condemnation, no matter what the proclaimed reason for it is.

It is tragic that multiple nations have now been dragged into conflict.

The world needs peace not more unnecessary wars. Those in charge of it would do well to remember Mahatma Gandhi’s words: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

I do hope that having genuflected before the Prime Minister of Israel and President Trump, our Prime Minister makes every effort to bring all Indian citizens in the affected countries back home to safety.

This is another trouble being created by them for the nation while wanting to tarnish Narendra Modi. The number of people in these countries are huge. Creating such a narrative that Indian govt is not bringing them home, is to create fear in the expats and also hope of going home on free airlines ticket. There will be attacks on Modi govt for not bringing the people back home. Their accounts will air Some videos from the affected Indians from multiple countries and create another problem.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2028906946783580421
@IDF
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT SITE STRUCK

The covert ‘Minzadehei’ compound was used by a group of nuclear scientists who operated to develop a key component for nuclear weapons.

Using intelligence, the IDF tracked the activities at this new location, removing a key component of the Iranian regime’s capability to develop nuclear weapons.

[uddu]

The Story changes completely. Unnecessarily dragging India into the story was all deliberate. We have nothing to do with the ship. But SL has.
https://x.com/i/status/2029524505786470708
@aravind
Looks like Sri Lanka has inadvertently or deliberately worked with its partner, the US (which many say installed the current govt removing China friendly Rajapakse govt), to sink Iran's ship.

The ship was safe as long as it was along India's coast. It went to Lanka and waited there for 11 hours before it was sunk. Then propaganda was spread as if India was accountable. Which sadly Indians too were spreading causing India issues with Iran and US.

https://x.com/NewsWireLK/status/2029492986409848930
@NewsWireLK
“The vessel waited for 11 hours about 40 nautical miles off Galle port for permission from the Sri Lankan government to berth at Galle port, as it had difficulties returning to Iran due to the conflict situation. Why didn’t the government allow permission for such a long time?” SJB MP Mujeebur Rahman questioned in Parliament regarding the IRIS Dena, which was attacked by a US submarine on Wednesday.

[Manish_P]

Iran Fighter Jet | How Israeli F-35 Hunted And Downed Iranian Yak-130 Jet
...

Poor F-22. So uber that it can only be used on home turf to shoot down chinese high altitude spy balloons.

[Vayutuvan]

Iran launches missile with one-ton warheads at Israeli airport
...

Subkiloton warhead

[chetak]

The Story changes completely. Unnecessarily dragging India into the story was all deliberate. We have nothing to do with the ship. But SL has.
https://x.com/i/status/2029524505786470708
@aravind
Looks like Sri Lanka has inadvertently or deliberately worked with its partner, the US (which many say installed the current govt removing China friendly Rajapakse govt), to sink Iran's ship.

The ship was safe as long as it was along India's coast. It went to Lanka and waited there for 11 hours before it was sunk. Then propaganda was spread as if India was accountable. Which sadly Indians too were spreading causing India issues with Iran and US.

https://x.com/NewsWireLK/status/2029492986409848930
@NewsWireLK
“The vessel waited for 11 hours about 40 nautical miles off Galle port for permission from the Sri Lankan government to berth at Galle port, as it had difficulties returning to Iran due to the conflict situation. Why didn’t the government allow permission for such a long time?” SJB MP Mujeebur Rahman questioned in Parliament regarding the IRIS Dena, which was attacked by a US submarine on Wednesday.

uddu ji,

Two Other Ships Waiting In Colombo

The IRIS Dena was subjected to the torpedo attack while it was returning to Iran after having recently participated in the Indian Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN in Vishakhapatnam in February 2026. Following the attack and destruction of the warship, in compliance with obligations under international laws, the Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force promptly initiated search and rescue efforts. At least 87 people on board the ship have died as a result of this attack. While those who have been rescued are being treated in Sri Lanka, two other Iranian warships have reportedly taken refuge in Colombo. Given that this took place close to India's territorial waters, and soon after the warship and its personnel participated in an exercise hosted by the Indian Navy, a rethink must be set in motion in New Delhi about what this development entails and how it can best be navigated.

IRIS Dena in happier times

[krisna]

Iran has been starved of investments , lot of intelligent forward looking iranians have escaped to other countries. Those who remained are ones who
1) cannot escape to other countries even though they hate the theocratic regime

2) those committed to islamic theocratic regime

-----------------------------------------------
Iran theocratic regime has survived well all these years and have no other choice but fight on- either k!ll or get k!lled. typical of west asia cultural traits for centuries.
-------------------------------------------------------

Iran is lucky with its topography.

1) largest country in that region
2) large population compared to their regional rivals
3) Theocratic regime has absolute control within its borders despite multiple attempts at regime changes
4) It controls the strait of hormuz which is the lifeline of usa empire- petrodollar diplomacy which rules the current world order
5) Iran topography has mountains overlooking the sunni arab states whch are smaller and in deseret region flat lands. Iran can hide lot of its defence offensive weapons inside mountains. The arab states are sitting ducks against iranian attacks.
6) Usa does have bases but cannot maintain its own against sustained atacks for prolonged period time. It is few 1000s cheap dollar drone with no good guidnace system vs sophisticated anti drone interceptors which have to be precise and accurate- hence costs millions ( almost 8-100 times costly for each cheap drone of iran) Cheap drones can be done in few days vs sophisticated interceptors over weeks-months. some estimates say iran can produe 10-14000 drones annually. usa can produce its sophisticated interceptors few 100s-1000 annually,
7) Likley fight of attrition between the 2 sides-usa holds the edge due to its immesne capabilites. But iran has no choice and has to fight for its survival. This might hold the key irresepctive of usa capabilities. Usa population might not stomach prologed war due to economic hardships expected.

8 ) Weak spots- sunni lands - mostly expatraiates of various countries- will migrate or flee at continued hostilities. Lot of glitzy buildings and economic activties. Oil depots and desalinatiin plants. sunnis states depend on desalination plants to various extent from 50% to over 90% in some states. They are impossible to defend against 100s of cheap drones. This will create lot of pressure to divert the resources to protect them. The sunni arab tiny kingdoms have restive populations who can dethrone their own rulers. The rulers will flee if things get nasty.
9) Strength of iran theocratic- nothing to lose -fight to finish.Unlikley to escape or flee - different situation- 50 years ago when khomeini was living in paris.

-----------------------------------

something about regular iranian defence forces- it has been degraded over time since the revolution. the therocratic regime never trusted them. they cretaed the IRG as a defcato defence forces- these are hard core islamic ones who take orders from the theocratic regime. less easy to be swayed about humans rights or other issues.

The regular iranian army will fold easily and melt away and escape if needed. But not IRG. These are had core ones. Hence ground troops are necessary to remove them.
Also iran has iraninas who afre hard core fans of the regime They will fight ot the last.

usa isreal haviung air superiroty is ok but not enough.

[krisna]

Mouth of persian gulf is hormuz straits. All food and oil esential supplies go thru this.

water-desalination, no food supplies and oil shipping- will destroy whatever sunni lands have said for loong regarding safe place, economic opportunity and tax free havens. They will go back to their original times sadly if prolonged conflict for weeks. The migrant populations will go flee. The original populations are not into creating another dubai or another big city. only time will tell.

almost whole of world economy depends on this narrow 30 odd miles of hormuz strait. Iran because of its geopgraphy has good control. Entire asia- japan koreas china India and the rest like europe (not all but still suffer) including sunni lands depend on this narrow strip.

Usa is not affected directly but will have economic issues and its reputation of global enforcer will take a big hit. This will help multipolarity whether it likes or not.

[S_Madhukar]

https://youtu.be/K-nUY1kAP1s?si=j0BIqLyCR6eLcQt5

UAE displays missile and drone parts that were neutralised. Look at the language - noise is good which means our AD is working well - Bhai expats please come back ! All iz well.. now they said 100s of missiles were intercepted but will that be scary ?

[uddu]

So the remaining Iranian Navy surrendered.

[uddu]

WATCH: US strikes Iranian drone carrier ship amid operation
U.S. Central Command confirmed Thursday that it struck an Iranian drone carrier as "Operation Epic Fury" is in full force. CENTCOM posted a video of the strike and said, "U.S. forces aren't holding back on the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy. Today, an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire."

Earlier Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper said U.S. strikes against the Iranian Navy had "intensified." adding that the carrier was "roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier" and was on fire.

[uddu]

13 Iranian underground missile bases struck by U.S., Israeli airstrikes
A bipartisan think tank estimates the operation is costing nearly $900 million per day.

[bala]

Iran - Day 4 Update / Trump’s War Doctrine: Good, Bad or Ugly?/ Lt Gen Ravi Shankar (R)

The video provides a day four update on the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, focusing on military developments and strategic analysis: Military Dominance: US and Israeli forces achieved complete air control after four days, destroying Iranian missile launchers, nuclear sites, and the navy. Iranian Retaliation: Iran struck US bases in Iraq and Qatar and attacked Saudi refineries, while Hezbollah joined the conflict from Lebanon. Leadership Hits: Successive strikes have killed numerous high-ranking Iranian officials; Mojtaba Khamenei has emerged as a potential successor. Hormuz Blockade: Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping, but Trump countered by offering US-backed insurance and naval escorts for tankers. Strategic Skepticism: While Trump emphasizes regime change and "shock and awe," analysts warn that winning the war may not ensure peace without ground troops. Global Impact: The conflict has triggered market freefalls and energy disruptions, specifically threatening India’s gas supplies from Qatar.



// a good recap of what is happening on both sides. BTW 3 HQ-9B of China are complete duds in Iran

[uddu]

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2029522979026256168
@DrSJaishankar
Had a telecon with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi this afternoon.
@araghchi

[S_Madhukar]

Ex-Google PM Builds God's Eye to Monitor Iran in 4D.
Vibe coded Worldview which will be open to public in April. He has a background in AR/VR and Google Maps.
Using OSINT data, you can correlate satellite movements and likely strike timings?
Nevertheless the app is a great way of viewing flight movements, GPS spoofing, maritime trade and satellite movements all in one go with time travel.

[uddu]

Moment cluster munition warheads explode over Tel Aviv in Iranian ballistic missile attack
Footage shows the moment cluster munition warheads from Iranian ballistic missiles crashed in central Israel

Cluster munitions are weapons that release scores of small, explosive submunitions over a wide area, designed for use against people and vehicles

[uddu]

JUST IN: Jets STRIKE Khamenei's bunker

[ricky_v]

Though it is galling that 1 western power is acting as the empire of the world, the situation must also be looked at in Indian iranian relational context though it is always possible that the us party armada may one day decide to lay anchor in Indian waters on one pretext or another.

Iran, whatever else may be said gave islam it's civilisational trappings, islam would get this from only 2 sources, the wider iranian world and the region of al-andalus in connection with the euros. In a sense, they are or would be the sole competitor of India for the Indian Ocean, because the competition is failed slave states. I don't bear any ill will towards iranians as a people , and in certain circumstances they have commendable achievements, despite a stifling form of government, continuous brain drain, low birth rates, sanctions since many years on export and import of several commodities. These facts make them more dangerous as enemies, not camel jockeys with filthy money and little culture, not eastern slaves Good only for nuisance and parasitism, not malnourished SEAs only in it for a semblance of culture and money.

But the government of Iran if left to become strong would be quite deleterious for India and in no small part because of the influence they have over a sizeable population here in India as currently, shia make about 15% of India's muslim population, no reason to doubt that the proportion would not be maintained in the future.

There can never be a reversion to zorastrianism, shia islam is too ingrained in the psyche of the country and it is not the desert ages where teachings can be lost and religions stamped out.

[Amber G.]

BIG: India provides refuge to the 3rd Iran Warship IRIS Lavan in Kochi.

IRIS Lavan requested for refuge on 28th Feb, & was given approval on 1st March & has been docked in the port since 4th March.

Crew of 183 have been accommodated at naval facilities.

[g.sarkar]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... me-capture
Iran is not Venezuela, despite Trump’s hopes of repeating ‘regime capture’ strategy
Tom Phillips and Robert Tait, Fri 6 Mar 2026
First, the CIA tracks the head of an oil-rich, US-baiting nation to a heavily guarded compound at the heart of his country’s mountain-flanked capital.
Then, that leader is removed from power with a deadly and irresistible show of US military force.
Finally, a more pliant successor is installed to do Washington’s bidding.
That was the recipe for Donald Trump’s recent capture of Venezuela’s regime. The country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, was abducted in Caracas before dawn on 3 January.
After special forces seized Maduro, his vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, stepped up with Trump’s blessing, launching a once-unlikely, pro-US era for a South American country whose leaders had long railed against “Yankee” imperialism.
“I thank President Donald Trump for the kind willingness of his government to work together,” Rodríguez posted on X on Thursday, in perhaps her most unabashed act of genuflection since her ally’s downfall.
Three months after Maduro’s demise, Trump appears keen to replicate “regime capture” model in Iran after its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Tehran during a devastating Israeli-US operation targeting his base.
“I have to be involved in the appointment [of his successor], like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump told the US news website Axios this week.
Speaking to the New York Times, he said: “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is … the perfect scenario.”
A state department official told the Wall Street Journal that Trump’s strategy – “managing” a regime’s behaviour from afar without putting US boots on the ground – might be called “decapitate and delegate”.
Yet South America and Middle East experts have serious doubts about whether what has so far worked in Caracas would work 7,000 miles away in Tehran.
“Turning Iran into a pliable kind of puppet regime is much less practical than in Venezuela where [even under Maduro] … the government was already inclined to work with the US, its historic partner for energy and the key player in the region,” said Benjamin Gedan, a former South America director on the national security council staff at the White House and now the director of the Stimson Center Latin America Program
He added: “This idea that after Venezuela the US could go around the world intervening and installing a Delcy Rodríguez figure wherever our aircraft carrier weighs anchor, it’s a sort of silly idea.”
Iran experts believe Trump’s demand to be involved in choosing the country’s next leader is likely to be rejected out of hand by the country’s surviving officials as brazen interference in their domestic politics. The country has bitter memories of meddling by outside powers, including Britain, Russia and the US.
To a large degree, the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic regime to power was fuelled by nationalist resentment over perceived foreign intervention. The then reigning pro-western monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was widely considered an American puppet.
Anti-Americanism, exemplified by the revolutionary chant “Marg bar Amrika” (Death to America), has been at the heart of the regime’s ideology since the revolution’s spiritual founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, branded the US “the great Satan”. Slogans and murals expressing antipathy to the US are prominent throughout Tehran and other Iranian cities.
......
Gautam

[V_Raman]

IMO USA has cornered itself by saying it is only against the regime and that restricts their bombing surface area. This cannot be like Iraq. So interesting times ahead.

India Oil/LNG - they might need to find backup sources asap.

V_Raman ji,

Russia steps in with 9.5 million barrels as India braces for oil supply shock

For now, the additional Russian crude offers a buffer that may help India navigate a period of uncertainty. Energy sector observers say its sufficiency will depend on how the geopolitical landscape evolves.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/busine ... pply-shock

From Russia - with love -> a friend in need is a friend in-deed !

[Mukesh.Kumar]

Interesting article in the BBC of all places how using locally developed ruggesd solutions can literally bleed your enemy dry.

How Iran is using cheap drones to cause chaos across the Middle East

[A_Gupta]

Some cancelled military exercise in the US 2nd Airborne or some such is fueling speculation that Trump plans to send in some troops.

[g.sarkar]

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/m ... -can-they/
Trump wants Iranians to ‘take back their country’ from the regime. Can they?
Alan Pino, March 3, 2026
As US and Israeli warplanes and missiles began attacking Iran’s military and security infrastructure and senior leaders, both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the Iranian people to seize the opportunity to rise up and overthrow the regime. Can a mass uprising bring the Islamic Republic down, especially after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, and after days or weeks of sustained attacks destroy much of the regime’s security and intelligence apparatus?
On the surface, there would appear reason for optimism. Opposition to the clerical regime in Tehran has been growing for almost a decade. Massive protests erupted in 2017 and 2019 over poor economic conditions but quickly turned into calls by many protesters for the downfall of the government. And the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement, which roiled the country for months in 2022 and 2023 over the security forces’ killing of a young Kurdish woman for not wearing the hijab, featured demands to replace the Islamic Republic with a democratic government committed to protecting basic freedoms.
Many observers felt these protests had crossed the Rubicon in challenging the cleric-led regime’s legitimacy and calling its survival into question. But regime security forces eventually regained control by killing some 550 people, arresting tens of thousands, and maintaining heightened surveillance and the repression of suspected protest leaders and their families.
So, the massive protests that engulfed Iran in January were only the latest wave in growing opposition to the regime during the past decade. The despair of a population over a collapsing economy and a ruthlessly repressive and corrupt regime deaf to calls for change helps to explain why many Iranians are reportedly cheering the US and Israeli assault. But once the bombs stop falling, can the people rise up to oust what remains of the regime?
No one knows exactly what will follow once the US-Israeli strikes end, but a few considerations create grounds for questioning whether an uprising can succeed.
As US and Israeli warplanes and missiles began attacking Iran’s military and security infrastructure and senior leaders, both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the Iranian people to seize the opportunity to rise up and overthrow the regime. Can a mass uprising bring the Islamic Republic down, especially after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, and after days or weeks of sustained attacks destroy much of the regime’s security and intelligence apparatus?
On the surface, there would appear reason for optimism. Opposition to the clerical regime in Tehran has been growing for almost a decade. Massive protests erupted in 2017 and 2019 over poor economic conditions but quickly turned into calls by many protesters for the downfall of the government. And the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement, which roiled the country for months in 2022 and 2023 over the security forces’ killing of a young Kurdish woman for not wearing the hijab, featured demands to replace the Islamic Republic with a democratic government committed to protecting basic freedoms.
Many observers felt these protests had crossed the Rubicon in challenging the cleric-led regime’s legitimacy and calling its survival into question. But regime security forces eventually regained control by killing some 550 people, arresting tens of thousands, and maintaining heightened surveillance and the repression of suspected protest leaders and their families.
So, the massive protests that engulfed Iran in January were only the latest wave in growing opposition to the regime during the past decade. The despair of a population over a collapsing economy and a ruthlessly repressive and corrupt regime deaf to calls for change helps to explain why many Iranians are reportedly cheering the US and Israeli assault. But once the bombs stop falling, can the people rise up to oust what remains of the regime?
No one knows exactly what will follow once the US-Israeli strikes end, but a few considerations create grounds for questioning whether an uprising can succeed.
......
Gautam

Also see:
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/m ... pposition/
The hidden friction with Reza Pahlavi and the Iranian opposition
Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, March 5, 2026

[A_Gupta]

Important - under the banner of the MEA:

https://youtu.be/8dtSWXdmAso?si=8wfz0SYZvEaZMw-s

[V_Raman]

I think we should disabuse ourselves of the notion that any gulf country will have influence over IM - regardless of their type of govt - those days are gone! Same goes for Pak/Bdesh!!