Part 10/18:
The most potent and unpredictable force is the Iranian populace. Their patience has run thin as the economic and social crisis worsens—fuel shortages, inflation, factory shutdowns, and collapsing healthcare systems spell disaster. Protest waves now encompass dozens of cities—something unprecedented since the revolution, surpassing past protests in scope and distribution.
The protests are often not just expressions of dissatisfaction but direct messages to Iran’s military command. Civilians are chanting “Death to the dictator,” openly turning against the regime’s military institutions, especially the Artesh—Iran’s conventional military force—the historically marginalized army now seen as the last hope for some factions within the regime.