We, the people who’ve opposed this regime for years, find ourselves confused and increasingly hopeless. The confusion stems from fear of the unknown—fear that people close to us could be harmed. At the end of the day, you're not supposed to celebrate when your homeland is being bombed.
The despair comes from no longer knowing what else needs to happen for people to see through the lies they've been fed for decades. For over a week now, warplanes belonging to what we were told was our greatest enemy have been flying over our heads as if they own our skies.
U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement after Iran strikes
(Video: The White House )
And yesterday, “the Great Satan,” as the regime calls it, obliterated the most important site to this regime—the very one that was supposed to be most heavily guarded. When will people here realize the regime can't protect us? That for 50 years they've been selling us a lie, gutting our infrastructure—and that the moment they can, they'll vanish and leave us to rebuild from ruins?
Fear is fueling division. Those loyal to the regime are clinging to it harder, becoming increasingly violent. Those who’ve doubted and resisted hate the regime even more—but are now too scared to act.
They couldn't protect the nuclear facilities—do they really think they can protect us?
They're afraid of the bombings and also of regime supporters roaming the streets with clubs. Even the underground parties that used to take place in shelters and on rooftops, where people documented the attacks—those have stopped. It's just fear now. And uncertainty feeds that fear.
Sometimes we want to cry from how thoroughly this regime has managed to brainwash people. Now they're threatening to strike back at the U.S. Let’s say they somehow succeed in hitting American targets—despite their failed attempt against Israel that showed just how limited our power is. Then what? Do they think [Donald] Trump will stay silent?
They couldn't protect the nuclear facilities—do they really think they can protect us? We read the headlines and we don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I think we’re moving from shock to humiliation. People are beginning to understand we're not the regional bully the regime claimed we were—the one who sets the rules for everyone else. We're on our knees.
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You can see the disbelief everywhere: in the gas station lines, in traffic jams as families try to flee, in supermarket queues, at the banks. Our currency has lost 15% of its value since the war began. The kids are stuck at home, helpless, teetering on the edge of madness.
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Isfahan nuclear site following U.S. strikes
(Photo: SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
We were glad when the Israelis started bombing. Once again, we opposition members found ourselves in that absurd place of hoping for hunger and shortages—thinking maybe that’ll finally wake people up. But honestly, we’re not optimistic anymore. I don't believe it will happen.
Unfortunately, I believe Iran is sliding toward civil war—toward blood in the streets. These thoughts, this reality, paralyze us with fear. I’ve written before that we are not afraid—but the truth is, we don’t have the tools to fight regime supporters.