This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Fact: The one and only solution to Iran's ever-worsening crisis lies in the complete overthrow of the religious dictatorship. The international community is gradually reaching consensus on this point, and the Iranian people are more prepared than ever, their society now in a basically explosive state.
Neither war nor appeasement, but only regime change by the people of Iran and their organized Resistance, can truly guarantee peace in the region. To achieve this, however, the right of thousands of resistance units across Iran to confront the IRGC – that's the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that protects the theocratic regime – must be widely recognized. The need and timing are urgent. Every additional day granted to this regime only means more war and bloodshed. The regime's calls for negotiation are nothing more than desperate attempts to buy time. And its time is running out – as all the evidence attests.
Iran's streets are no longer under the regime's control
One of the clearest signs of the regime's decline is its loss of control over the streets. Until 2017, the Islamic Republic still had the ability to mobilize its supporters. But after successive uprisings – from December 2017 to November 2019, and later in 2022 – the streets gradually slipped from the regime's grip. Today, women and girls appear in public with voluntary attire. This is not a sign of tolerance by the regime, but proof of its inability to suppress them. Defections within the repressive forces are also widespread, leaving the regime increasingly stripped of its primary tool of control.
The cancelled concert
On Friday, Sept. 5, just one day before a major rally held by the Iranian opposition in Brussels, a large concert was scheduled to be held in Tehran. The decision to stage this event had been made by the Supreme National Security Council, the regime's highest decision-making body. Its main purpose appeared to be countering the impact of the opposition's demonstration in Brussels. The performance was assigned to a well-known singer whose father holds a prominent place in modern Iranian music.
The decision at such a high level reflected the regime's need for shows designed to present the slogans and aspirations claimed by the Supreme Leader as if they were being fulfilled. On Aug. 24, Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei had declared: "This sacred unity of the people with the Islamic Republic – this steel shield – must not be harmed. Today, thank God, unity exists."
Except it doesn't. But by consistently accusing opponents of sowing division, Khamenei hoped the concert would project an image of national unity and silence dissent within the establishment. History shows that in the final days of their rule, all dictators tend to resort to such displays in an effort to appear nationalistic and unifying.
The concert was to be held in Tehran's iconic Azadi Square. But according to Peyman Soltani, conductor of the Tehran Nations Orchestra, "Public opposition forced the cancellation of this program," because people saw it as aligning with the ruling regime. Its cancellation revealed that in Iran's political arena there is a force capable of challenging the regime and disrupting its calculations.
Defeat in cyberspace
In the realm of the internet and social networks, despite heavy filtering, the regime has failed to prevent young Iranians from connecting with the free world. Although access has become more difficult, the government has never managed to impose absolute control over cyberspace. In other words, the Islamic Republic has been forced to retreat not only in the streets, but also in the digital world.
A shared sense of collapse
The sense of the regime's imminent downfall is no longer confined to its opponents. Even within the system, this perception is clearly visible. In the minds of the people, the regime has already collapsed – only its physical fall remains.
'Time for a free Iran has arrived'
Last Saturday, Sept. 6, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence joined Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance, at a major Iranian rally held in Brussels to show support for the Iranian people's determination to bring about change.
In his address to tens of thousands of Iranians and human rights activists in Brussels, Pence stressed that the time for change had come, declaring: "The time for a free Iran has arrived."
"There is no weapon stronger than the will of a people determined to achieve their aspirations," he added. "That will is now embodied in the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and it will prevail."
