Amid severe crackdown, Tehran resident whose brother was among thousands killed by regime says many in Iran see ‘strike targeting all leaders’ as their last hope.
Still mourning the killing of his brother by government forces days earlier, a Tehran resident and fellow demonstrator painted a desperate and gruesome picture of conditions on the ground in Iran this week, with activists facing ongoing threats even as many still hope for foreign intervention, in a rare correspondence with Israeli media. “The city smells of blood and death. Everyone carries grief in their hearts,” Ali, a pseudonym, told the Times of Israel on Monday.
Speaking as demonstrations appeared to have been halted by a brutal crackdown that saw thousands massacred by regime forces, Ali said protesters were hoping that both the United States and Israel would come to their aid by launching military action to assist in overthrowing the Islamic Republic. “People are filled with rage,” he said. “They are simply waiting for a US and Israeli attack to put an end to this regime.” A Tehran native who works in the city, Ali provided a written account in Farsi on condition of anonymity, as communication with foreign media, especially Israeli, poses a security risk.
The Times of Israel was able to reach Ali through Shervin Savadkoohi, an Iranian political exile and monarchist activist living in the United Kingdom, who has been working to get Iranians’ stories out amid regime efforts to quash accounts of what is happening inside the country. While it was impossible to independently confirm his identity or accounts, Ali provided The Times of Israel with graphic images showing his deceased brother in a body bag and later being laid to rest, as well as hospital and police documents related to the incident. (Read More)
