What do Iranians want? Population caught between hardline regime and war

The Debate

For citizens still reeling from the crackdown on the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the focus now is on hunkering down as best they can. Nearly 700 people have been killed in Iran since last Friday, according to the human rights group HRANA, and citizens are bracing for more violence in scenes reminiscent of the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. How do those who defied the regime just a couple of years ago feel about this moment – and about those abroad who are cheerleading for regime change?

On that score, the command in Tehran is closely watching for signs of internal dissent. We'll look into reports of arrests, internet disruptions, calls to abandon WhatsApp, and reactions to Israel’s brief hacking of state television.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump uses the collective “we” – as in “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran” – but Israel’s Iron Dome has proven unable to stop missiles like the one that struck Beersheba’s hospital in the south of the country. If the United States is “all in,” it wouldn’t be the first time. Iran’s collective memory stretches well beyond the 1979 revolution – back to 1953, when a CIA-backed coup overthrew a democratically elected government in favor of reinstating the Shah.

Produced by Aline Bottin, Elisa Amiri, Ilayda Habip.