After protests crushed, Iranian tells ToI many still hoping for US, Israel ‘savior’ |
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.
Providing graphic photos of the incident, he recounted how, on January 9, he and his brothers were leading protesters when regime forces attacked the crowds: “My two brothers and I were on the front lines, leading others so people would stay motivated and not retreat. I, and one of my brothers, were hit by shotgun pellets, and my other brother was shot with live ammunition, later dying from severe bleeding.”
“He sacrificed his life for the homeland,” he said.
The protests began in late December as merchants went on strike over the plummeting value of the rial, with the country’s economy struggling to weather heavy international sanctions and leaders seen as unresponsive to people’s needs.
Within days, the demonstrations had spread across the country, bringing tens of thousands to the streets, many of whom began calling for an end to the Islamist regime ruling the country since the 1979 revolution that deposed Shah Reza Pahlavi, whose son urged on the protests from abroad.
Ali said the regime’s move to shut down internet access had made it difficult for protesters to organize, but demonstrations continued to take place spontaneously, with “braver individuals” guiding the rest of the crowd.
“All communication channels were blocked on the [first] nights of the protests — we........