Iran’s Regime Officials Express Growing Despair Amid Rising Threat of Uprising

Staff WriterJanuary 5, 2025
Iran’s Regime Officials Express Growing Despair Amid Rising Threat of Uprising
https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/iran-protests/irans-regime-officials-express-growing-despair-amid-rising-threat-of-uprising/#:~:text=FILE%20PHOTO%3A%20Iranian%20youth%20posing%20with%20victory%20signs%20during%20the%202022%20uprising

iran uprising youth streets 1
Written by
Farid Mahoutchi

FILE PHOTO: Iranian youth posing with victory signs during the 2022 uprising

The Iranian regime’s officials and state-appointed clerics have openly expressed their growing anxiety over the potential fallout from domestic unrest, fueled by economic hardships and regional setbacks. Recent statements from Friday prayer leaders and high-ranking officials reveal an atmosphere of deep insecurity as the regime struggles to maintain its grip on power amidst widespread public dissatisfaction and fears of a popular uprising.

Ahmad Alamolhoda, a Friday prayer leader and representative of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, said, “Sometimes they plan events in other countries in a way that their earthquake reaches our nation, shaking us and forcing us to retreat from the line of resistance.”

He sought to downplay the implications of Assad’s fall, insisting it does not signify a total defeat for Iran’s regional strategy. “The Syrian government has fallen, and terrorists have taken over Syria, but this does not mean our resistance has been defeated,” he asserted. Alamolhoda argued that the regime must adopt new strategies to counter these challenges and maintain its resistance axis, underscoring the depth of the regime’s reliance on its regional influence for survival.

“They want to present the analysis that the Resistance Front and the Islamic Republic of Iran have suffered a defeat,” Khamenei’s representative in Birjand, Gholamhossein Noferesti said. He went on to directly attack dissidents, stating: “Anyone who attempts to create chaos in this country, in any position, will be crushed under the boots of the people, as our Leader has declared.”

Khamenei’s representative in Gorgan, Kazem Nourmofidi, echoed this rhetoric, accusing foreign powers of spreading disinformation to incite unrest among the youth. “They are blowing these conspiracies into the minds of our society, especially the young who lack awareness. We must remain vigilant,” Nourmofidi declared. He went further, threatening that anyone attempting to destabilize Iran would be “trampled by the firm steps of this nation.”

Despite attempts to blame external forces, some officials could not ignore the regime’s dire economic situation, which is a key driver of public anger. Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader, admitted the severity of the economic crisis, saying: “The dollar at over 80,000 is a catastrophe. It devalues our national currency, and this collapse is dangerous. Let no one doubt that this is part of a foreign conspiracy.”

Khatami also accused unnamed officials of complacency and criticized their inability to address the economic hardship. His comments expose the widening gap between the regime’s loyalists and an increasingly dissatisfied populace.

Speaker of the regime’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, sought to reassure the regime’s loyal forces by invoking the regime’s history of surviving crises. During a speech in Torbat Heydarieh, he referenced the 1988 military incursion by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI), to argue that the regime had overcome even greater threats. “Yes, the road is hard, but we’ve been here before,” he said. “When the MEK advanced close to Kermanshah, we fought back. When Saddam fell, we survived. These ups and downs are part of the revolution’s journey.”

Yet, his comments also betrayed the regime’s fragile state. Ghalibaf cautioned against the influence of anti-regime propaganda, warning, “The counter-revolution is trying to undermine the resolve of our people through lies and rumors.”

Meanwhile, Khamenei’s representative in Arak, Qorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, lashed out at citizens demanding better living conditions, labeling their demands as “unrealistic.” “Do not make unreasonable demands in these crucial circumstances,” he said, emphasizing the regime’s struggles to balance its budget. “The country does not have endless resources. Expecting the impossible is a betrayal of the nation, the system, and Islam itself.”

His remarks highlight the disconnect between the regime and the people, as protests over unpaid wages and worsening living conditions persist. Najafabadi’s comments dismiss the legitimate grievances of millions, instead focusing on preserving the regime’s fragile control.

The overarching theme of the regime’s statements is fear—fear of an uprising that could topple the regime. Alamolhoda, in his desperate appeals, declared, “Do not think that the fall of a base of resistance like Syria means surrender. No, we must continue to stand like men.”

The cumulative tone of these statements reveals a regime desperate to deflect blame and deny the reality that its greatest threat comes from within. By attributing unrest and setbacks to foreign conspiracies, officials, clerics, and state representatives attempt to obscure their failures, from economic mismanagement to eroding regional influence, while ignoring the growing hostility of the Iranian people toward the state.

Staff WriterJanuary 5, 2025
Arab-Islamic Committee in Defence of Ashraf
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