Unlike ever before, Iran’s Islamic regime is facing a revolt led by a generation that has lost its fear. Young and old, men and women, students and workers, are flooding the streets across the country.
Women and girls are at the forefront, protesting without headscarves, defying the clergy that once controlled every aspect of their lives. They don’t want reform; they are demanding freedom, economic relief, and the end of authoritarianism.
Iran’s future may well hinge on whether its military chooses to act and save its country, suffering from decades of repression by a corruption-driven regime, resulting in economic collapse.
Protestors are suffering repercussions from the regime with increasing killings, reportedly in the thousands, arrests, and executions.
[The imminent execution of Erfan Soltani, 26, accused of leading a revolt and refused a trial, is scheduled for today, Wednesday, January 14. Soltani is the subject of an emergency campaign to “make him famous” in order to save his life (#freerfan #save erfansoltani #erfansoltani), a tactic that has worked in the past, according to Iranian-American activist Elica LeBon on social media.]
The regime’s ruthless crackdown – including shutting down public Internet access – has not stopped images coming out of Iran of its brutal attempt to crush dissent. Yet even in the face of such peril, the Iranian people are undeterred, determined to continue their fight.
Trump’s threat to use force has not prevented the mullahs’ onslaught. Now the people need the support of their most powerful domestic – not foreign – power to come to their aid.
The Iranian military is the most pivotal institution in the country, capable of catalyzing the ultimate downfall of the regime. A key player, with significant internal influence, it has the capability to drive the necessary change from within, ultimately leading to regime change.
Real questions
Every officer in the military should stop and ask themselves the following questions:
- "How do I want to serve my country?”
- “Do I want to continue to prop up a bunch of reactionaries, self-obsessed old men who have long since lost their relevance, wearing the false robe of piety to appear sanctimonious while subjugating the people to hardship and hopelessness?”
- “Should I not support the younger generation who are yearning for a better life, for opportunity, for a future that gives meaning to their existence?”
- “Should I not participate in sparking the revival of this magnificent nation from the doldrums of the past 47 years that have consumed it from within?”
- “Should I continue to prepare for war against Israel, or extend a peaceful hand and invest in building my country with such immense natural and human riches and be in the forefront of all other modern democratic and progressive nations, and restore the glory of ancient Persia?”
- “Do I truly want to continue to wear blinders and let my country be destroyed from within, or should I become part of a newly reborn nation and take personal pride in helping to revive it?”
Clear answers
The answer to these questions should be clear to every officer.
The military should establish a transitional government and pave the way for a legitimate, freely elected government, and restore the Iranian people's dignity and their right to be free.
The idea that the shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi [currently calling for the army to defect] could return and restore a monarchy is just the opposite of what the Iranian people need. Instead of another form of corruption or an old kingdom, they deserve a democracy and genuine freedom.
In the final analysis, Iran’s destiny may rest on a single profound choice – whether its military steps forward to reshape the nation’s destiny.
The writer is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU, teaching international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com and www.alonben-meir.com