Iranian Citizens in Interview with N12: “There Is Even Harsher Repression, Help Us ‘Finish the Job’”

By Sapir Lipkin

The sounds of war may have faded, but in Tehran, Iranian citizens told N12 today (Thursday) in an exclusive interview that the fear has merely changed form. Military bases have been evacuated, forces dispersed throughout the city, public buses are being used as improvised outposts, and the internet, for those who can afford it, has become a narrow and expensive window to the world.

Behind the appearance of normalcy, they describe repression that has intensified since the ceasefire: arrests, executions increasing day by day, fear in the streets, and a feeling that the world is looking away, to the point that some openly admit their only remaining hope is a renewal of the fighting that could ultimately bring down the regime.

“They have become more repressive, executing people much more easily”

Behind the relative silence and the attempt to project a return to routine, some believe that in post-war Iran, reality has become even darker and more dangerous. "Now, our situation has become much, much worse than before the operation. We have no internet, we have no medicine, and we still have the same bad conditions as before”, says Alireza from Tehran in an interview with N12.

How is that reflected in daily life?

“They have become more repressive, public space is more restricted, and they execute people much more easily. In short, the atmosphere has become extremely bad. People around the world need to know, the job was left half-finished. There is not a single moderate person here. No real change has happened, except that every change has been against the people”.

“People hope the remaining leaders will be eliminated”

Alongside the fear and shortages, some openly admit they are waiting for the conflict to resume, believing that only further pressure can destabilize the regime" .Either the job needs to be finished, or conditions need to be created right now so that at least people's economic situation doesn't stay like this”, Alireza stresses.

“Many people are waiting for these clashes to resume,” he continues. “They hope the remaining leaders of the regime will be eliminated, because that would have an enormous impact, a truly enormous impact. Their fear is that this horrible situation of repression, internet shutdowns, and daily executions will continue”.

"Bases were evacuated, checkpoints are set up, and they're using buses"

Darya, a resident of Tehran, describes a reality in which forces have been redeployed throughout the city and daily life continues under severe restrictions and constant alert. "War conditions still exist here. Police stations and bases were evacuated, and forces were spread across the city”, she tells N12.

“They are using city buses as military bases. Internet access is only possible at extremely high prices. Checkpoints are still everywhere”, says Darya. “My only hope is for the war to continue until the fall of the Islamic Republic, and my fear is that the U.S. and Iran will reach an agreement”.

Is there any sense of normal life at all?

“At night, groups carrying the flags of the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah roam the streets, spreading fear and intimidation”, Darya says. “Life has not returned to normal at all since the 12-day war. Citizens have been living in uncertainty for almost a year. From the 12-day war until now, the internet in Iran was completely cut off. Thousands of executions have been carried out. The voice of an entire people is being systematically suffocated”.

According to Alireza from Tehran, anyone who wants to understand reality in Iran must look beyond the headlines and into daily life itself, where disconnection from the world, economic distress, and a sense of uncertainty have become the norm.

“If you want to understand our situation, if your readers want to understand, let them turn off their phones for one hour and their computers for one hour. Let’s see if they can live even one hour disconnected from the world. The situation is terrible. And of course, the economic situation is also extremely bad”, he says.

“Help the Iranian people finish the job”

“Many people are willing to endure these conditions if the situation will truly improve”, Alireza says. “Not another meaningless bombing campaign targeting places with little impact. A truly serious elimination campaign. If that happens, people are prepared to bear the current conditions”.

The citizens speaking from Tehran wanted to send a direct message to the outside world, particularly the United States and Israel, urging them to intervene "Help the Iranian people finish the job. The job is not done when you eliminate some people and leave others behind. There is not a single moderate person in this regime. They all have dark pasts. There is not one reasonable person among them. Do not deceive yourselves”, Alireza concludes.