Will the regime collapse in Iran?
Interview with Alexander Deeto of DW. Bulgaria.
The Iranians know that things will not get better: the water crisis will not be solved, the economy will not improve, and the political problems will remain. For this reason, people are willing to risk their lives; this is what Hamid, who speaks openly about the situation, says.
Why are the protests different today? Hamid compares the 2009 and 2022 protests with those of today. In 2009, people protested against electoral fraud, and there was still hope for reforming the Islamic Republic. But over the years, it has become clear that this system is not reformable. In the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, the focus was on human rights and social issues, yet the international community did not provide any serious support. Calls to place the IRGC on the list of terrorist organizations and to isolate Iranian authorities went unanswered.
He says the Iranian people are now far ahead of any form of opposition. Regardless of political beliefs, everyone has united and taken to the streets. People have nothing, yet they continue to fight — without weapons and without support. There is no way back, even if the world does not help.
Will they succeed without global support? Hamid believes that if international intervention is to happen, it must be real and effective. Condemnation and expressions of concern do not help. How long can people resist tanks and weapons? He says global decisions are always too late. Even Obama later admitted that the U.S. should have reacted more decisively in 2009. Hamid believes that a limited military intervention is necessary.
Hamid’s aspiration is the dream of “an Iran with real democracy.” He says some people want the monarchy and others want a republic, but this situation is not permanent, and dictatorship has no place in Iran’s future. According to him, Iranians have the capacity to build democracy; they simply need to feel like real citizens. Even during the economic crisis, he says, the slogans of the people remain political: against dictatorship and for freedom.
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