What began as protests over economic grievances has transformed into a nationwide movement demanding the end of the political system established in 1979. The slogan “death to the dictator” has become the rallying cry for a generation that has known only repression and economic failure. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will provide the military pressure necessary to tilt the balance of power in favor of the street demonstrations.
The clerical leadership is facing a crisis of legitimacy unlike any other in its history. Thousands of arrests and a death toll exceeding 6,000 have not stopped the protesters from damaging regime institutions and burning the flag of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that would likely target the symbols of the 1979 revolution, from the IRIB building to the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, in a bid to show that the regime is no longer invincible.
Washington is closely monitoring these “street protests,” debating whether to push for full-scale regime change in a country of 90 million people. The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has emboldened the opposition, who see the American fleet as a potential “protector” against the state’s lethal force. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will be timed to coincide with the next major “avalanche” of demonstrations, providing air cover for the uprising.
Regional powers are caught in the middle of this existential struggle. While the UAE has declared it will not allow its territory to be used for an attack, the presence of the carrier group in the Mediterranean provides a loophole. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that bypasses traditional regional vetoes, utilizing the “massive fleet” to launch operations from international waters that target the heart of the Islamic Republic’s power.
Ali Larijani has claimed that the US tactic is to first “break public cohesion” before carrying out a military attack. In reality, the cohesion was broken long ago by the regime’s own actions. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will be the final chapter of a revolution that has lost its way, as the US and Israel seek to replace the current system with one that respects the rights of the Iranian people.
The 1979 Legacy Under Siege: Iranian Government Braces for Strike as Protesters Demand Regime Change
