In Iran, an impoverished people can no longer endure their despotic regime. They have gone out onto the streets, in cities across Iran, to protest not just the country’s economic collapse, with a majority of the country now living below the poverty line, but also to demand an end to the regime itself. Ordinary Iranians, bazaaris, and university students are all out in force, calling for “Death to Khamenei,” the Supreme Leader who has brought the country to such a pass. More about the extent of that economic collapse, and the rejection of the regime’s authority, can be found here: “‘Refrigerators are empty’: Iran protests spark civilian cries for regime collapse – interview,” by Amichai Stein, Jerusalem Post, January 1, 2026:
As protests erupt once more across Iran, voices from inside the country describe a nation not only burdened by economic hardship but also pushed past a psychological point of no return.
Interviews with three protesters based in Tehran and other cities suggest that what began as anger over inflation and the rising cost of living has evolved into an outright rejection of the Islamic Republic’s authority.
One protester told The Jerusalem Post that Iran’s economy is “rentier and monopolistic,” dominated by a narrow elite closely aligned with the regime.
According to him, both wealth and opportunity are concentrated among senior officials, influential clerics, their families, and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The senior clerics, the IRGC commanders, the high-ranking government officials, are all making out like gangbusters, along with their extended families, while the rest of the population sinks steadily into poverty and despair. Ayatollah Khamenei himself controls a business empire worth $95 billion.
“The entire economy has been swallowed,” he said, pointing to the ever-expanding economic influence of the IRGC and powerful families with ties to the regime.
Inflation, unemployment, and hunger, he added, have “destroyed society,” turning street protests into a last resort for a worn-out population.
Now almost half of the population has sunk into poverty. 60% of university graduates are unemployed. The rial has sunk to a historic low. Inflation has risen to 40%. The country’s only resource, oil, has sunk to $65 per barrel on the world market, but Iran is forced to sell its oil, because of sanctions, mainly to China and with a steep discount of roughly $10 per barrel.
According to him, the protests are not about ideology but about survival.
“These are exhausted people,” he said. “Everyone is protesting. Everyone is grieving.”
The same protester voiced hope that Israel would side with the Iranian public. He openly expressed support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called on Israel to strike the IRGC repression centers.
While such remarks are uncommon, they reflect the extent of public anger, which now extends beyond borders, in seeking solutions to domestic repression….
So much rage directed at the regime has among Iranians given rise to greater support for Israel, for the Jewish state is rightly regarded as the Iranian regime’s greatest enemy. Some Iranians are now openly hoping that Israel will attack the IRGC and its “repression centers” where Iranian dissidents are imprisoned.
Those politicians who promised reforms to the system, such as Mohammad Khatami, all failed; the regime remained an immovable rock, with the Supreme Leader as an absolute dictator who refused to accept even the most minimal of changes. These protesters are Iranian nationalists who reject the ayatollahs’ view that it is the ummah, the community of Muslim believers, that matters most. Their loyalty is not to fellow Muslims around the globe, but, rather to the nation-state of Iran and to its long, and to them glorious, pre-Islamic history.
The protesters control the streets, the bazaars, the universities, with more people joining the protests every day. The regime has its weapons — it is “armed to the teeth” — but the protesters have the ever-increasing numbers, and if they are not violently put down with live rather than rubber bullets by a desperate regime, they should ultimately prevail.
One protester also pointed to a growing divide between the regime’s rhetoric on Israel and public sentiment. He argued that after years of state-sponsored incitement, many Iranians are beginning to see Israel in a different light.
“For years, they told us Israel is evil,” he said. “Now people see Khamenei as the cause of their misery, and that has pushed them to look differently at Israel.”
When a thieving and dictatorial regime repeatedly tells you that Israel is the cause of every misfortune and must be crushed — “death to the Little Satan” — you end up thinking Israel must not be so bad after all. In fact, Iran — the people, not the regime — is now the most pro-Israel country in the Middle East.
The demonstrations on the city streets across Iran continue into their fifth day. Never before has the Iranian regime been weaker, and never before have Iranians, who are convinced they have nothing to lose, been so determined to throw off their oppressors.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Just wondering whether this regime can fall as fast as Assad’s did?
Peter Williamson says
America and Israel must resume their program of surgical strikes to exterminate the ENTIRE theocracy. The longer they wait the more innocent Persians will die. The earlier strikes gave the people hope, and to now stand idly by and watch the revolution they encouraged fail would be the greatest act of moral cowardice. Arguably America and Israel would have the Persians’ blood on their hands. They must act.
SKA says
If the Islamic regime falls this will be a major blow to the morale of jihadists, particularly Hizbullah, Hamas and the Houthis.
Namer says
Only the people of Iran can overthrow their gov’t and not and an external power for the revolution to be considered legitimate by the people of Iran and the world. We can greatly assist the new gov’t (food infrastructure etc)but for it to work the people have to want it and do it themselves. We could also help find all of the current leaders wealth and return it to the country.
Tony says
Islam is a totalitarian cancer of discrimination, violence and terrorism against all Non-Muslims as taught in Islam’s Qur’an(Qur’an 9;5, 29, 111; 49:15, etc.). Islam is nothing but a Criminal-Terrorist-Gang Enterprise.
SUPREMACIST ISLAM IS ANTICHRIST, AHISTORICAL, DECEITFUL, MILITARISTIC, AND POLITICAL against the USA Constitution and Western Laws to conquer and to subjugate Non-Muslims using MUSLIM-TERRORIST-CRIMINAL-GANG ENTERPRISES with ISLAMIC LAW(SHARIA) and with CONTINUOUS, TERROR PROPAGANDA from Islam’s Qur’an as evidenced by the continuous Muslim attacks to make Islam supreme(Qur’an 2:191; 3:28, 54; 4:89-91; 7:99; 8:30, 60; 9:5, 29,111; 16:106, etc.). Islam and its Muslims, enemies of Non-Muslims, are a Muslim Terrorist Organization(MTO) as taught in Islam’s Qur’an.
Deceitful Allah affirms Non-Muslims as enemies of Allah while Muslims continuously undermine a society from within using their man-made Qur’an with lies, obfuscation, and deceit(Qur’an 3:54; 7:99; 8:30; 60:4, etc.). Allah in Qur’an 4:101 says, “…Surely the infidels[Non-Muslims] were your clear enemies.” Allah expects all Muslim believers to war against all non-Muslims until the Unbelievers convert to Islam or face Muslim violence. Corrupt Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” As a result, Non-Muslims are marked for death by Islam and its Muslims.
Murderous Islam is a civilization-destroying, delusional, indoctrinating, cancerous fraud because there is NO MECCA, NO MUHAMMAD, and NO Qur’an in the 7th century AD in Saudi Arabia despite the Muslim Standard Islamic Narrative claims; the Deceitful House of Islam is founded on propaganda, lies, intimidation, and deceit where Islam’s 1400-year traditions are based on fallacy and myth including a more than 300-year gap with no documented history. Hence, NEVER give money to Islamic Countries, Islamic Organizations, Mosques, Islamic Schools, etc. because your are funding your ultimate destruction. Islam must be banned as illegal, and we have the legal right to defend ourselves from Muslim violence.
Islam’s Muslims are to be Seditionist Terrorists for Allah with their MONEY and their LIVES. Allah in Qur’an 49:15 teaches, “Surely the believers[Muslims] are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed jihad with their MONEY and their LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.” Again, Islam is a FACTITIOUS IDEOLOGY and CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION despicably fabricated over time into the 21sth century, and there is NO PEACE only genocidal obliteration with Islam and its deceitful Muslims(Qur’an 7:18; 8:39: 9:5, 29, 111; 11:119; 32:13; 47:4, etc.).
Demonic ALLAH claims MUSLIMS are a greater TERROR than serpentine Allah in Islam’s Qur’an. Allah in Qur’an 59:13 says, “You[Muslims] are a greater terror in their chests than Allah. This is because they[Jews & Christians] are people who do not understand.” Allah in Qur’an 9:29 commands, “Engage in war with those who do not believe in Allah nor in the last day. Nor forbid what Allah and his messenger forbid, nor believe in the religion of the truth among those who have given the book until they pay the jizyah out of hand and they are subdued.”
Islam, its Mosques, its Schools, its Sharia Courts, its Organizations, etc. are Terrorist-Criminal Enterprises of hatred and enmity against all Non-Muslims as totalitarian Islam, the House of Satan, islamizes the society with impunity(Qur’an 5:14; 9:5, 29, 111, etc.). As taught from Islam’s Qur’an, Islam should be banned for its incitement, funding, and promotion of hybrid warfare, violence, terrorism, criminality, hatred, human trafficking, and discrimination against women, children, and Non-Muslims.
Allah describes Muslim women in Jenna, Allah’s Paradise, as whores of Allah in Qur’an 56:37. Also, Allah stirs hatred against Christians until the resurrection day as Qur’an 5:14 instructs, “And some of those who say, ‘Surely we are Nasara (Christians),’ we took their covenant. So they have forgotten a part of what they were reminded of, so we have stirred up ENMITY and HATRED among them until the resurrection day. And Allah will inform them of what they were doing.” See also Qur’an 60:4; 8:55.
OLD GUY says
And just think we elected this same kind of leader and life style into N.Y. City.
Transmaster says
4500 NYPD Police officers have resigned. Precinct locker rooms are full of abandoned uniforms. Where are they going? There have been 200,000 applications to become ICE officers, and 35,000 to become Border Patrol officers.
Troybeam says
This situation in Iran has been a long time coming & frankly President Trump needs to stand down and let the people win this one on their own.
gravenimage says
Iran: ‘Refrigerators Are Empty. Pockets Are Empty.’
………………………………………..
I guess “Allah” is no longer willing their success?