The Islamic Republic of Iran cannot survive without its proxy militias and the tacit or active support it receives from segments of the international community. Inside Iran, the regime has lost all legitimacy among the Iranian people.
Western media outlets, particularly in the UK, have recently reported from inside Iran in ways that effectively amplified the regime’s narrative. While acknowledging public discontent, they repeatedly emphasised that “Iranians do not want foreign intervention.” This framing was presented as balanced, on the ground journalism. In reality, it missed the deeper truth: Iranians have been living under relentless physical and psychological torture for decades. Foreign intervention has long been a reality, not necessarily from the West, but from the regime’s own proxies. Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis have heavily influenced the regime’s internal repression and external aggression.
For years, the regime has systematically looted Iran’s resources and diverted them to arm and empower these proxy armies, preparing for the very conflict it now faces. Yesterday’s missile and drone attacks on Israel, triggered by Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, were a calculated escalation. The regime knew the risks, yet chose to reignite direct confrontation.
The Iranian people are effectively hostages of this regime. It is not a legitimate government elected by the people; it is a rotten, criminal cartel that treats ordinary Iranians as expendable shields and bargaining chips to ensure its own survival. Without its proxies, the Islamic Republic will collapse.