As airstrikes pound Iran and the war escalates, some Iranians say the country’s civilians are being crushed between an authoritarian regime and a foreign assault claiming to bring liberation.

One Iranian dissident — previously imprisoned and tortured by the state — says watching the conflict unfold from inside the country has been devastating. While international attention focuses on geopolitics, they warn that ordinary Iranians are again paying the price.

Liberation claims collide with civilian deaths

The war launched by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been framed by supporters as a blow against Iran’s ruling clerics.

Critics say the reality on the ground looks very different. Airstrikes have reportedly killed hundreds of civilians, including schoolchildren, fuelling anger among those who fear the war is being fought over Iran rather than for its people.

Netanyahu described the military campaign — dubbed “Lion’s Roar” — as a long-awaited strategic move. Opponents argue that rhetoric about liberation rings hollow while bombs fall on densely populated areas.

Exiled monarchists seize their moment

The conflict has also revived long-simmering political ambitions in exile. Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed shah, has positioned himself as a potential future leader of Iran.

Supporters in the diaspora have rallied behind him, waving the monarchist lion-and-sun flag. Critics inside Iran, however, accuse exiled figures of exploiting the chaos while remaining distant from the suffering of civilians.

Some analysts fear the war could trigger an externally engineered political transition reminiscent of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, when Western-backed forces restored the shah to power.

Calls for uprising — and fears of deadly reprisals

Both Trump and Netanyahu have urged Iranians to rise up against the regime. Dissidents warn such calls can be deadly inside a state where accusations of foreign collaboration carry the death penalty.

Past protests have already ended in bloodshed. Thousands of demonstrators were killed or imprisoned during previous uprisings, according to activists, with mass arrests sweeping up students and teenagers.

For those living inside Iran, the dilemma is brutal: remain silent under repression or risk being labelled a foreign agent.

Caught between dictatorship and war

Many Iranians have long demanded reform, freedom and economic stability. But critics say war risks destroying any possibility of grassroots change.

Some fear the country could fracture into rival factions if the state collapses suddenly. Others warn the conflict is hardening the regime while silencing dissent.

For those watching bombs fall on Iranian cities, the message is stark: neither foreign airstrikes nor authoritarian rule offer the freedom millions still hope for.

Who will stand up for the Iranian people as death rains on them from the skies?

It would be nice for Iran to be free, but that is not the primary objective of the strikes.

Too bad the Iranian citizenry did not have Second Amendment rights, don't you agree?

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

It would be nice for Iran to be free, but that is not the primary objective of the strikes.

Too bad the Iranian citizenry did not have Second Amendment rights, don't you agree?

Too bad Trump does not abide by constitutions and amendment rights, don't you agree?

40 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Too bad Trump does not abide by constitutions and amendment rights, don't you agree?

I agree you know nothing of the US Constitution and less about most anything else.

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I agree you know nothing of the US Constitution and less about most anything else.

What a typically asinine statement from you!

2 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

What a typically asinine statement from you!

If you explained how Trump is violating the Constitution, that would prove me wrong, but you can't, All you can do is regurgitate inane unsupported nonsense and lies.

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

If you explained how Trump is violating the Constitution, that would prove me wrong,

I do not have the time or inclination to do so given just how often he does it, but I will give you just one of many sources for you to use once you take your MAGA blinkers off!

https://factually.co/fact-checks/justice/times-trump-violated-constitution-ce6ac3

8 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

I do not have the time or inclination to do so given just how often he does it, but I will give you just one of many sources for you to use once you take your MAGA blinkers off!

List of times Trump violated the Constitution

Once again, you prove what a know-nothing you are. All you can do is regurgitate

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Once again, you prove what a know-nothing you are. All you can do is regurgitate

So as usual you have made yet another asinine response!

You asked me to prove you wrong!

I have done so with;

https://factually.co/fact-checks/justice/times-trump-violated-constitution-ce6ac3

Where is your factual response to all those FACTS?

To be fair, airlifting the mullahs $16 Billion in used banknotes on pallets didnt exactly free Iran either, did it?

It was a Schrodingers cat situation. Mention of the Obama "gift" was censored while simulataneously stressing it was "only their money + interest"🤣 i do miss the old days sometimes

25 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

So as usual you have made yet another asinine response!

You asked me to prove you wrong!

I have done so with;

https://factually.co/fact-checks/justice/times-trump-violated-constitution-ce6ac3

Where is your factual response to all those FACTS?

Links are not facts. Why not learn to formulate your own argument rather than always being limited to regurgitating what others say? Learn to think for yourself.

Come on, tell me how Trump bombing Iran is unconstitutional and we'll go from there.

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

Links are not facts.

Links contain the facts that you refuse to read!

That is if you ever do read anything that goes against your MAGA indoctrinated mind!

An example is your inability to read the link I quoted which will help to ""tell me how Trump bombing Iran is unconstitutional"!

But of course you will now respond with a totally unconnected and pointless topic hijacking the original question so many posts ago which I am not going to respond to!

Goodnight and good riddance!

Just now, scottiejohn said:

Links contain the facts that you refuse to read! That is if you ever do read anything that goes against your MAGA indoctrinated mind!

What to lefties like you always clip posts? It's dishonest and against the rules.

What I said was:

"Links are not facts. Why not learn to formulate your own argument rather than always being limited to regurgitating what others say? Learn to think for yourself.

Come on, tell me how Trump bombing Iran is unconstitutional and we'll go from there."

"As airstrikes pound Iran and the war escalates, some Iranians say the country’s civilians are being crushed between an authoritarian regime and a foreign assault claiming to bring liberation."

Childish squabbles aside, I think this para from Bannork's original post is spot on. What's going on is an unconscionable crime from this 'America Last' President.

Absolutely shocking. God help Iran.

Let's hope President Netenyahu and Trump can stop this madness before Iran looks like Gaza . . . .

 It's "The American Way":

“It became necessary to destroy the town to save it,” a U.S. major said Wednesday"

https://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2015/02/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-town-to-save-it/

"U.S. advisers said the heavy allied firepower hurled on the city to drive out the Viet Cong probably contributed largely to the deaths of at least 500 civilians and possibly 1,000. South Vietnamese officials say the enemy dead totaled 451. About 50 Vietnamese soldiers died, along with more than 20 Americans…Lt. Col James Dare of Chicago, commander of U.S. Advisory Team 93, said “we will never know for sure” the number of civilians who died…Maj. Chester L. Brown of Erie, Pa., spent hours over the city as an Air Force forward air controller directing helicopter and fighter-bomber attacks. “It is always a pity about the civilians,” he said."

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

It would be nice for Iran to be free, but that is not the primary objective of the strikes.

Too bad the Iranian citizenry did not have Second Amendment rights, don't you agree?

please tell us what the primary objective is, because Trump and his administration don’t seem to be able to make their mind up.

If you have any information to confirm the Israel objectives are aligned with the mercurial US objectives, tgat would be interesting to hear too.

17 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

please tell us what the primary objective is, because Trump and his administration don’t seem to be able to make their mind up.

If you have any information to confirm the Israel objectives are aligned with the mercurial US objectives, tgat would be interesting to hear too.

I thought Karoline Leavitt was quite clear about it.

Where do you get your news?