#Iran is not Pakistan, nor is it Syria—do not conflate them so negligently. 

For a brief and tragic decade during the Iran-Iraq War—a conflict initiated by Saddam with Western backing—the nation appeared unified under the Islamic Republic’s narrative of patriotism and defense. Yet even then, this unity was often misread as widespread support for a regime rooted in brutality and corruption. 

Since the early 1990s, the advocates of that narrative have steadily dwindled. By November 2019, as the regime violently suppressed nationwide protests, it became evident that its base of support had shrunk to a terminal and residual minority.

Today, over 90% of Iran’s population of 90 million within, alongside 10 million in the diaspora, resolutely seek regime change and the establishment of a true democracy. They envision an Iran founded on secular liberal principles, where freedom, human rights, and stability are not only safeguarded but serve as a beacon for the entire region. Iran has the potential to become a cornerstone of security and progress in the ME, provided that Western leaders—especially those in London—abandon their complicity in propping up the regime through halfmeasure short-sighted deals and concesions.

Appeasement has reached its natural end, and Tehran's mob rule is in its death throes. Western policymakers must recognise this reality and respect the Iranian people’s struggle. 

Do not conflate them with their neighbours who champion jihad or espouse violence. The reality is stark: over 90% of Iranians are resolute in their opposition to tyranny. In totalitarian regimes, a core base of 7% or fewer adherents is not unusual, especially where ideology functions to maintain rentier, corrupt, and coercive apparatuses.

Next time, mind your your assumptions. Iranians are not fighting for the preservation of tyranny—they are fighting for universal principles: freedom, dignity, and democracy.
#Iran