NEW YORK, Jan 15 (IPS) – Unlike ever before, Iran’s Islamic regime is facing an uprising led by a generation that has lost its fear. Young and old, men and women, students and workers, flood the streets across the country.
Iran’s future may depend on whether the Iranian military chooses to act and save the country, driven by economic collapse, corruption and decades of repression. Women and girls are leading the way, protesting without headscarves and defying the clergy that once controlled every aspect of their lives. They don’t want reforms; they demand freedom, economic aid and the end of authoritarianism.
Shutting down the internet, arresting nearly 17,000 protesters, killing at least 3,000 people, including children, and Trump’s threat to use force to stop the Iranian regime have not deterred the mullahs from continuing their attack. The regime’s brutal crackdown has been a disastrous wave of repression, claiming thousands of lives in a ruthless effort to crush dissent. But even in the face of this danger, the crowd remains undaunted, determined to continue their fight.
Now, however, they need the support of the most powerful domestic – not foreign – power to come to their aid. The Iranian military is the most crucial institution in the country and is capable of catalyzing the regime’s demise. The military is the key player, with significant internal influence and the ability to bring about the necessary change from within, ultimately leading to regime change.
Every officer in the military should stop and think: how do I want to serve my country.
Do I want to continue supporting a bunch of reactionaries, self-obsessed old men who have long since lost their relevance, who wear the false garb of piety to appear hypocritical while subjecting the people to hardship and hopelessness?
Shouldn’t I support the younger generation who long for a better life, for opportunities, for a future that gives meaning to their existence?
Shouldn’t I join in fueling the revival of this beautiful nation after the troubles of the past 47 years 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 resources and stand at the forefront of all other modern democratic and progressive nations, restoring the glory of ancient Persia?
Do I really want to continue wearing blinders and let my country be destroyed from within, or should I become part of a newly reborn country and take personal pride in helping it revive?
The answer to these questions must be clear to every official. The military must establish a transitional government and pave the way for a legitimate, freely elected government, restoring the dignity of the Iranian people and their right to freedom.
The idea that the Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, could return and restore a monarchy is the exact opposite of what the Iranian people need. Instead of another form of corruption or an old kingdom, they deserve democracy and real freedom.
Ultimately, Iran’s fate may depend on a single profound choice: whether it takes military steps forward to reshape the country’s destiny.
Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. He taught courses on international negotiations and Middle Eastern studies.
© Inter Press Service (20260115093608) — All rights reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
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