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The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Israel weakened Iranian regime. Iran must rise up against it
But within this dangerous situation lies an unprecedented opportunity - one that the Iranian people intend to capitalize on and the international community cannot afford to miss. The regime's response will be brutal. It is a wounded animal and is already lashing out by arresting and attacking Iranians. The regime's response to Israel's strikes on nuclear facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership reveals everything the world needs to know about those who have hijacked my beloved Iran. While claiming to defend Iranian sovereignty, they have systematically destroyed it. While promising strength, they have made Iran weaker and more isolated than ever. This was not Iran's war - it was Ali Khamenei's. It was the response of a desperate, flailing regime. Iranian people fill me with pride For more than four decades, I have advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience as the path to Iran's liberation. I have watched with immense pride as the Iranian people have risen time and again - in 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019 and most recently in 2022, after the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the "morality police." Each uprising has grown stronger, each protest has been more unified and each time, more voices have joined the call for fundamental change. The regime's foundation is cracking, and these recent military exchanges might have weakened it to the point of collapse. The Islamic Republic is profoundly weak. Behind the bluster and ballistic missiles lies a regime that has lost the support of its own people. Iranian protesters chant for the end of the Islamic Republic, desperately hoping for support to end this theocratic system. They know that external strikes - whether from Israel, the United States or another nation - will not achieve the fundamental transformation Iran needs. Real change must come from within. It must come from the Iranian people themselves, through coordinated nationwide strikes, sustained civil disobedience and mass demonstrations that make it impossible for this regime to function. The power to liberate Iran lies not in foreign militaries, but in the hands of Iranian workers, students, women and all those who dream of freedom. That is why the international community's support is so crucial at this pivotal moment. The world must impose maximum pressure on the regime while offering maximum support to the Iranian people. Opinion: I fled Iran as a child. Regime change will come only when the world allows it. This means comprehensive sanctions that target regime officials and their economic networks, while ensuring internet access reaches ordinary Iranians. It means amplifying the voices of Iranian civil society and providing secure communication tools that allow protesters to organize safely. It means diplomatic isolation of the regime while maintaining channels of support for the democratic opposition. The timing has never been more favorable. The regime is internally divided, economically weakened and internationally isolated. Its military commanders know that continuing this path leads to destruction. The officers and Revolutionary Guardsmen who reach out to me understand that their survival depends on abandoning Khamenei's failing leadership. Even regime insiders are beginning to consider whether their interests lie with a declining theocracy or a new, democratic Iran. Iranians are ready to take to the streets But windows of opportunity do not remain open indefinitely. The Iranian people are ready to finish what they have started in their previous rounds of protests. They are prepared to take to the streets in numbers that will dwarf previous uprisings. What they need now is the knowledge that the world stands with them - not with empty words, but with concrete actions that tip the balance decisively in their favor. The international community must understand that supporting the Iranian people's struggle for freedom is not just a moral imperative - it is a strategic necessity. Opinion: I survived war in Iran. There are millions like me whose lives are not theoretical. A democratic Iran would end the proxy wars that have destabilized the Middle East for decades. It would eliminate the nuclear threat that keeps the region on edge. It would restore Iran to its rightful place as a force for stability and progress rather than chaos and destruction. The regime leaders' decision to escalate this conflict with Israel demonstrates their complete disregard for Iranian lives and interests. They are willing to risk everything to preserve their grip on power. This recklessness should serve as a final wake-up call to anyone who still believes this regime can be reformed or reasoned with. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Today's missiles may capture the world's attention, but tomorrow's freedom will be won in Iran's streets, factories and universities. The Iranian people have shown repeatedly that they possess the courage to confront tyranny. Now they need the international community to match their bravery with moral courage and meaningful support. The regime is weak. The people are ready. The moment is here. Let us not allow it to pass. Iran will be free, and when it is, the entire Middle East will be more peaceful and secure. The world must choose: Continue to manage this crisis, or help the Iranian people end it once and for all. Reza Pahlavi is the crown prince of Iran. He has advocated from exile for nonviolent resistance to Iran's Islamic Republic for more than four decades.
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Iran moves female prisoners to ‘hellhole' cattle farm jail
Iran moved female inmates to a 'hellhole' detention centre in the wake of an Israeli air strike on Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Missiles struck the site, where dissidents are jailed to silence them, on Monday morning, the day before Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire ending their 12-day war. The Telegraph has learnt that guards moved prisoners from the facility after the strike, with women being taken to Qarchak prison, a former livestock facility that has been converted into a detention centre 40 miles south of the Iranian capital. Humanitarian groups have issued frequent alerts about the centre, which is sanctioned by the US on the basis of extrajudicial killings, torture and other violations of human rights. Iranian authorities have launched a wave of arrests across the country since the fragile truce was struck, detaining more than 700 people on espionage charges. The Islamic Republic has used international tensions as a cover while it cracks down on dissent at home and steps up retributions. The regime has been significantly weakened, and clerics are said to have become paranoid and wary of a challenge to their grip on power. However, since Israel's war with Iran started, the Tehran regime has stopped arresting women for not wearing headscarves, with analysts saying it wanted public support as it was put under pressure by the bombing campaign by Israel and the US. But women protesters still suffer in prison. Many women arrested during the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests were moved to Qarchak prison, where some remain. In an audio recording, a woman named Sayeh Seydal described being moved from Evin prison to Qarchak in the wake of Monday's air strike. 'The American and Israeli bombing didn't kill us, but the Islamic Republic has brought us to a place where it's practically killing us,' Ms Seydal said in the recording smuggled out of the country. 'They've brought us to a place where humans don't live. It's a gradual death.' Ms Seydal is serving three years for social media posts deemed unacceptable to the Iranian regime, and had been imprisoned at Evin since October 2024. After the explosion, special guards reportedly attacked prisoners and began to move them. Men were transferred to Fashafoyeh prison outside Tehran, while women were handcuffed and transported to Qarchak. According to Ms Seydal's recording, the conditions defy basic human dignity. 'They've crammed everyone into a quarantine ward – a real hellhole,' she said. 'The toilets are like outdoor latrines. The showers? Like outdoor showers. The stench of filth has taken over everywhere. Even the water – the water you splash on your face – is salty. The food? It absolutely cannot be eaten. A terrible situation. 'The Islamic Republic has brought us to a place where it seems they want to get revenge for Israel and America and just kill us off easily.' Qarchak lacks prison standards that even the livestock once enjoyed. There is no proper sewage system or access to clean water, according to human rights groups There are no windows, and when the iron gates to outdoor areas close at 5pm, inmates stare at walls with only two small holes, 'the size of lentils,' for glimpses of the sky. Between 1,500 and 2,000 women are held at Qarchak throughout most of the year. Each hall was designed for fewer than 100 people, but they typically house over 150. At times, the number has reached 600, leaving prisoners without space to sleep, even on the floor. The detention centre is infested with cockroaches, rats, salamanders, lizards, water bugs and venomous tarantulas, according to human rights activists and former prisoners. Medical care is severely limited, with only five prisoners per ward allowed daily medical visits, and while prison authorities claim budget constraints prevent the provision of essential medications, they freely distribute sleeping pills and tranquillisers to keep prisoners sedated. Most of Qarchak's inmates are women from marginalised and impoverished backgrounds, among the most vulnerable sectors of Iranian society. Qarchak also holds children up to the age of four with their imprisoned mothers. The children endure the same harsh conditions, and having seen no men during their imprisonment, often become frightened when encountering men after leaving prison 'Qarchak prison is a symbol of the blatant denial of humanity and human dignity,' said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of Norway-based Iran human rights organisation. 'The continued operation of such facilities is a stain on the conscience of the world.' Iran's judiciary said the transfers were conducted to 'respect prisoners' rights' and 'provide better services'. The conditions in Evin prison were already dire. Established in 1972, it has become notorious for its use by the Tehran regime to detain political prisoners, including British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was released from Iran in 2022. After the Israeli strike, family members of other foreign detainees expressed concerns about their loved ones' safety, with relatives saying they had no information about their status. While Iran's judiciary confirmed the strike, Iran has not released official casualty figures or disclosed the current status of transferred prisoners. One prisoner who was able to call his family was Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic who has been on death row since 2017. But his wife Vida Mehrannia said she has not spoken with her husband since after the strikes on Monday, when he called to say he had survived. She is increasingly worried. 'He called and said he was OK, but parts of Evin had been destroyed and they were being moved somewhere,' she said. 'I've had no news from him since.' Mr Djalali was arrested in 2016 and sentenced to death the following year on charges of espionage for Israel's Mossad. Six people, including alleged Mossad spies, have been executed over the past week. Asked how worried she is about the latest developments, Ms Mehrannia asked The Telegraph: 'Are they going to execute him? He was very worried and said that two of his cellmates have so far been executed.' She added: 'The situation in Iran is not good, but ours is worse than anyone else's. They've taken our lives away for the past nine years. I just hope they leave us alone.' 'Why do they insist someone is a Mossad spy when he isn't,' she asked. 'He is not a Mossad spy, but they keep insisting he is – and it's punishing.'
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Iran crown prince: Israel weakened Iran regime. World must help finish the job
The international community's support of the Iranian people is crucial. The world must impose maximum pressure on the regime while offering maximum support to Iranians. The Islamic Republic once again dragged Iran into a war that was not ours. The missiles that flew between Tehran and Tel Aviv in recent days were the inevitable consequence of 46 years of terrorism, proxy warfare and reckless nuclear blackmail by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime. But within this dangerous situation lies an unprecedented opportunity − one that the Iranian people intend to capitalize on and the international community cannot afford to miss. The regime's response will be brutal. It is a wounded animal and is already lashing out by arresting and attacking Iranians. The regime's response to Israel's strikes on nuclear facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership reveals everything the world needs to know about those who have hijacked my beloved Iran. While claiming to defend Iranian sovereignty, they have systematically destroyed it. While promising strength, they have made Iran weaker and more isolated than ever. This was not Iran's war − it was Ali Khamenei's. It was the response of a desperate, flailing regime. Iranian people fill me with pride For more than four decades, I have advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience as the path to Iran's liberation. I have watched with immense pride as the Iranian people have risen time and again − in 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019 and most recently in 2022, after the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the "morality police." Each uprising has grown stronger, each protest has been more unified and each time, more voices have joined the call for fundamental change. The regime's foundation is cracking, and these recent military exchanges might have weakened it to the point of collapse. The Islamic Republic is profoundly weak. Behind the bluster and ballistic missiles lies a regime that has lost the support of its own people. Iranian protesters chant for the end of the Islamic Republic, desperately hoping for support to end this theocratic system. They know that external strikes − whether from Israel, the United States or another nation − will not achieve the fundamental transformation Iran needs. Real change must come from within. It must come from the Iranian people themselves, through coordinated nationwide strikes, sustained civil disobedience and mass demonstrations that make it impossible for this regime to function. The power to liberate Iran lies not in foreign militaries, but in the hands of Iranian workers, students, women and all those who dream of freedom. That is why the international community's support is so crucial at this pivotal moment. The world must impose maximum pressure on the regime while offering maximum support to the Iranian people. Opinion: I fled Iran as a child. Regime change will come only when the world allows it. This means comprehensive sanctions that target regime officials and their economic networks, while ensuring internet access reaches ordinary Iranians. It means amplifying the voices of Iranian civil society and providing secure communication tools that allow protesters to organize safely. It means diplomatic isolation of the regime while maintaining channels of support for the democratic opposition. The timing has never been more favorable. The regime is internally divided, economically weakened and internationally isolated. Its military commanders know that continuing this path leads to destruction. The officers and Revolutionary Guardsmen who reach out to me understand that their survival depends on abandoning Khamenei's failing leadership. Even regime insiders are beginning to consider whether their interests lie with a declining theocracy or a new, democratic Iran. Iranians are ready to take to the streets But windows of opportunity do not remain open indefinitely. The Iranian people are ready to finish what they have started in their previous rounds of protests. They are prepared to take to the streets in numbers that will dwarf previous uprisings. What they need now is the knowledge that the world stands with them − not with empty words, but with concrete actions that tip the balance decisively in their favor. The international community must understand that supporting the Iranian people's struggle for freedom is not just a moral imperative − it is a strategic necessity. Opinion: I survived war in Iran. There are millions like me whose lives are not theoretical. A democratic Iran would end the proxy wars that have destabilized the Middle East for decades. It would eliminate the nuclear threat that keeps the region on edge. It would restore Iran to its rightful place as a force for stability and progress rather than chaos and destruction. The regime leaders' decision to escalate this conflict with Israel demonstrates their complete disregard for Iranian lives and interests. They are willing to risk everything to preserve their grip on power. This recklessness should serve as a final wake-up call to anyone who still believes this regime can be reformed or reasoned with. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Today's missiles may capture the world's attention, but tomorrow's freedom will be won in Iran's streets, factories and universities. The Iranian people have shown repeatedly that they possess the courage to confront tyranny. Now they need the international community to match their bravery with moral courage and meaningful support. The regime is weak. The people are ready. The moment is here. Let us not allow it to pass. Iran will be free, and when it is, the entire Middle East will be more peaceful and secure. The world must choose: Continue to manage this crisis, or help the Iranian people end it once and for all. Reza Pahlavi is the crown prince of Iran. He has advocated from exile for nonviolent resistance to Iran's Islamic Republic for more than four decades. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
Newsweek
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Did Mahsa Amini Die in Vain?
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Thousands of young women have risked their lives in the streets of Iran for what too many Americans take for granted: freedom. Those streets may once again become the battleground for Iran's future. The United States' breathtaking strike on Iran's nuclear program, in coordination with Israel, may have opened the door to what some hope will become the liberation of the Iranian people. It was a moment that seized the world's attention and reasserted America's role as a global superpower. Mahsa Amini became the symbol of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement when she died in a Tehran hospital in 2022, after being detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's hijab laws. Her suspicious death sparked a wave of nationwide protests led by women and girls, igniting a global movement. Whether Amini's tragic death becomes a turning point depends on what comes next. Exiled Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi called on the broad resistance of women to return to the streets, using the social media platform X to mobilize action. A photo of Mahsa Amini is displayed during a protest against the current leaders of Iran outside of the United Nations on September 24, 2024, in New York City. A photo of Mahsa Amini is displayed during a protest against the current leaders of Iran outside of the United Nations on September 24, 2024, in New York momentum of this moment, years in the making, is fueled in part by Israel's military campaign, which has significantly weakened the Iranian regime's strategic infrastructure. The stated goal is to dismantle Iran's capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Still, the long-awaited opportunity for regime change could backfire. If mishandled, it risks unleashing a wave of mass executions and plunging Iran—and the rest of the world—into even greater danger than before the first bombs fell on what was once the Persian Empire. Supporters argue that Israel's campaign to eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities—including enrichment plants, missile bases, research centers, infrastructure, and oil refineries—is a justified national security measure. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly vowed to destroy the state of Israel and bring an end to Western civilization. Israel has called on civilians to evacuate Tehran ahead of further strikes, a step it claims demonstrates its concern for noncombatants. The Israeli army has framed this as a moral act—one few militaries would consider in the midst of war. Yet, as Tehran empties, the voices of women like Mahsa Amini—those who would champion freedom—are also disappearing. The objectives of this war cannot be viewed in isolation. Experts warn that Iran's current regime could be replaced by one even more repressive and hostile to the international order. Regime change must ultimately come from within. Even Pahlavi has emphasized that he does not seek power for himself, but believes the Iranian people must determine their future through elections. "Help us isolate the regime," he told Newsweek. "Help us elevate the cause of freedom." The New Iran, a prominent opposition group, has voiced alarm about the risks of the current moment. Its founder, Iman Foroutan, recently sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of the dangers of mixed messaging. "We are gravely concerned about a potential resurgence of one of the regime's most brutal tactics: The summary execution of political prisoners," Foroutan wrote. He cited reports from June 16 that at least 15 prisoners may have been executed in Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah. The following day, he said, inmates at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison were being segregated, raising fears of an impending wave of executions behind closed doors. A nuclear-free Iran does not automatically mean the regime is finished. A decade from now, without political transformation, the world could find itself facing the same crisis again. If Israel truly supports the Iranian people, it must ensure they can participate in demonstrations that could shape the future of their country. The United States should do more to empower Iranians to determine their destiny. Mixed messages from Israel are undermining this cause. The Jewish state must issue clear and consistent guidance that supports the Iranian people's struggle for liberty. The West cannot afford to ignore a potential wave of executions. Iran has a long and bloody record of silencing dissent through mass killings. Iranians today are trapped between a sadistic regime and a war Israel started—with U.S. backing—to secure global security. That war may be necessary, even laudable, but it must not leave the Iranian people behind. They deserve the same freedom and safety that Israelis and Americans are fighting to preserve. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu must remain strategic, unified, and consistent in their message. Only strength—and moral clarity—will drive real change. If this moment is to mean anything, it must be a fight not just for security, but for woman, life, and freedom—to ensure that Mahsa Amini did not die in vain. Felice Friedson is president and CEO of The Media Line, a U.S.-based news agency, and founder of the Press and Policy Student Program, the Mideast Press Club, and the Women's Empowerment Program. She reports from Jerusalem and can be reached at ffriedson@ The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Ceasefire and after: Why there's no winner in the Iran-Israel war
Victory was claimed on all sides, but it was a hollow, rhetorical one. The war did not redraw borders. It did not resolve grievances. It merely exposed the unsustainable status quo read more (File) A satellite image shows new airstrike craters on the perimeter of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Facility, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, near Qom, Iran, June 24, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters The Iran-Israel war, long simmering in the shadows through proxies and intelligence skirmishes, finally erupted into a direct confrontation that not only shook the Middle East but stirred the global order. But when the smoke cleared and ceasefires took fragile shape, one was left asking: who really won, and who truly lost? Or, was there a victor at all? To examine this conflict in isolation is to miss its complex genealogy. The war did not begin in April 2025 or December 2024 when the first missiles were openly exchanged. It began decades ago, seeded in ideological conflict, regional ambition, historical grievance, and strategic calculation. Iran, with its consistent commitment to anti-Zionism, and Israel, with its existential anxiety and security doctrine of pre-emption, have long danced a deadly duet, each enabling the other's paranoia. But it was American withdrawal from regional stewardship and the collapse of the two-state illusion in Palestine that provided the vacuum into which this war was sucked. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What we witnessed was not merely a regional war. It was a hybrid conflict—a mosaic of direct missile exchanges, cyberattacks, targeted assassinations, and proxy engagements in Syria, Lebanon, and even the Red Sea. Iran mobilised its axis of resistance—Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria. Israel, technologically superior, retaliated with brutal precision. Cities in both nations bled. Tel Aviv's iron dome held—but not always. Tehran saw unprecedented cyber blackouts. Lebanon was devastated again. Hundreds died, thousands were displaced, and the economy of the region—already tottering—collapsed further. Oil prices soared, and global supply chains convulsed. For Iran, the war was both a demonstration of capability and a revelation of vulnerability. The Islamic Republic showcased a remarkable ability to coordinate its proxies. The war gave it a psychological edge—it proved Iran could threaten Israeli soil directly, not just through intermediaries. Internally, the war deepened fissures in Iranian society. Already fatigued by years of sanctions, economic mismanagement, and the trauma of the Mahsa Amini protests, a significant segment of the Iranian public was far from united in support of escalation. Still, the regime's narrative of resistance resonated with many, and illusions of regime change in Iran were reminiscent of past Western imperialism, apart from being premature and misjudged. Israel, for its part, won tactically perhaps, but reinforced its dubious image as the bully of the Middle East. The unstable and precarious regime of Benjamin Netanyahu can only survive by invoking the simulated nationalism of war, and the notion of 'Israel under siege'. However, it did demonstrate, backed by the fulsome supply of American weapons, its military and intelligence superiority. Iranian weapons convoys were obliterated. Key militia commanders were assassinated. Tel Aviv showed it could strike at the heart of Iranian infrastructure. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But the strategic victory is less clear. For a nation that prides itself on deterrence, Israel failed to deter. Iran did retaliate. Its missiles did land. Its proxies did act. And perhaps most significantly, there is no clarity about whether its uranium enrichment programme has suffered fatal damage. Israel's domestic unity frayed. The war accelerated the cleavage between secular and religious Jews, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi populations, and reignited Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. Israel emerged militarily intact but politically shaken, increasingly dependent on the continued commitment of its American patron. Its image as a democratic fortress amid authoritarian neighbours grew threadbare under the scrutiny of war-time censorship and aggressive counterinsurgency. And what of America? Perhaps there is a diabolical method in the apparent madness of Donald Trump. He allowed Israel and Iran to batter each other, even joining Israel briefly in its attack on Iran, and then when he had left both sufficiently wounded, put pressure on them to agree to a ceasefire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's position during the Iran-Israel war exemplified the dilemmas of an aspiring global power. Bound by its traditional ties to Iran—a vital oil supplier and a counterbalance to Pakistan's regional ambitions—India also shares a deepening strategic embrace with Israel, especially in defence, agriculture, and cyber-security. New Delhi's official stance was one of predictable neutrality. It called for de-escalation, respect for the sovereignty of both nations, and reiterated its commitment to regional peace. But underneath the platitudes was a passive diplomatic tightrope act. India could not afford to antagonise Israel—now a crucial supplier of defence technologies and a political partner against Islamic extremism. At the same time, alienating Iran would jeopardise the Chabahar port project, India's gateway to Central Asia, and push Tehran closer to China. Moreover, with over eight million Indians living and working in the Gulf, India had a strong interest in preventing the conflict from escalating into a wider regional war. Its evacuation operations were efficient, but it was clear that India still lacks the heft to shape outcomes in West Asia. It is a stakeholder, yes, but not yet a shaper. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Perhaps the most haunting truth is that no one won. Iran bled, Israel endured, America equivocated, and India chose to remain a bystander. The people—civilians in Tehran, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Sana'a—were the true losers. Victory was claimed on all sides, but it was a hollow, rhetorical one. The war did not redraw borders. It did not resolve grievances. It merely exposed the unsustainable status quo. In the war's aftermath, the Middle East is more fragmented, its future more precarious. The spectre of nuclear escalation—unthinkable until recently—now hovers ominously over future skirmishes. The real challenge lies ahead—in the building of a new regional architecture that transcends sectarianism, balances power, and invests in peace. India, with its historic civilisational ties to West Asia and its growing economic and diplomatic capital, must strive to be more than a fence-sitter. The writer is a former diplomat, an author, and a politician. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
