Thirty-six years ago, the world changed just because people who had suffered decades of oppression realized they could free themselves. Many factors contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989 – the slow collapse of Soviet control, the Russian failures of Afghanistan and Chernobyl, and even fax machines became contributing factors. The catalyst for freeing eastern Europe from the Iron Curtain, however, was the ordinary Berliners who defied murderous security forces to topple what could no longer stand.
Will we see another world-changing moment in Tehran? Iranian ex-patriate journalist Masih Alinejad calls it the "Berlin Wall moment" in Iran, but emphasized yesterday to CNN's Jake Tapper that the West needs to take action to ensure its success. Alinejad praises Donald Trump for his pressure on the mullahs, while ripping both Barack Obama and Joe Biden for their appeasement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:
ALINEJAD: First of all, President Trump actually mentioned that some people were killed because of the crowd. This is misinformation. I have to make this clear that the Iranian regime opened fire in 10 days, 40 people got killed. They're not just numbers. They're not just statistics.
They are the people with empty hands took to the streets chanting for freedom, dignity. They want to have a normal life, and they are being killed by IRGC, the Revolutionary Guards. I think this is the Berlin Wall moment in Iran.
If international community gets united the same way when they were all united to help East Germany, to bring down the wall. Now Iranian people are trying to bring the wall of dictatorship down. We need to see action from Europeans, from, free world. Otherwise, believe me, Jake, they will kill more innocent people.
TAPPER: You and I have been talking about this for years. And I've been covering this for years. I remember covering the murder of Neda in the streets of Iran when Ahmadinejad was --
ALINEJAD: You were the first one you actually covered the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini in 2022 as well.
TAPPER: So, you've -- you've been obviously focused on this for years. Does this moment feel different than previous moments of unrest?
ALINEJAD: I even smell the freedom. I even feel like when people go to the streets, they show their face. They take on their own social media. They say that we have no fear because we have nothing to lose. As you mentioned, we have seen six major massive uprisings in Iran in 2009. You mentioned about Nidal al-Sultan.
At the same time when people were in the street chanting "Obama, Obama," you're either with us or with them. President Obama was sending secret letter to Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
In 2022, when Massoud got killed, women took to the streets. Women. Life, freedom. One of the most progressive slogan. What happened? President Biden was handing out billions of dollars to the same regime that hired killers to target U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. They even asked me to go under witness protection. I mean, it's a joke.
So, for the first time that we now see United States of America's president taking a strong action, saying that he is ready to save the lives of Iranians. Iranians are welcoming that. I want to see action. Otherwise, empty words are not going to save lives, are not going -- let's be very clear. People of Iran are better allies compared to these backward mullahs, for America, for the rest of the world.
And Iran without Islamic Republic will guarantee global security. And this is the moment that we want to see.
Trump certainly heard Alinejad, and took her advice. Trump warned earlier this week that any violence aimed at the protesters would result in direct action against the regime, likely at IRGC and Basij facilities that are already besieged in the popular uprising. Axios reports that the White House is keeping very close tabs on developments in Iran, and preparing to act as necessary. After first giving a skeptical assessment of the risk to the regime, developments over the last 24 hours have administration officials reassessing the situation:
Iranian demonstrators crowded into the streets of Tehran and other cities on Thursday, with images circulating of government buildings on fire and the authorities blocking internet access but failing thus far to restore order.
The intrigue: Early this week, U.S. intelligence assessed that the protests lacked sufficient energy to challenge the stability of the regime, U.S. officials told Axios. But that view is being reassessed in light of recent events.
- "The protests are serious, and we will continue to monitor them," a senior U.S. official said.
The BBC also reports today that resolve has firmed up on the streets, likely as a response to escalating violence by the mullahs' security forces in attempting to end the protests:
Vast crowds of Iranians have taken to the streets of the capital, Tehran, and several other cities, calling for an end to the Islamic Republic and in many places for the restoration of the monarchy.
Young and old, rich and poor, Iranians across the country and from all walks of life are now demonstrating their fury at the clerical establishment which has ruled them for close to half a century. ...
Day after day, since late December, protests in Iran have been spreading and building momentum, fuelled by deep-seated economic and political frustration.
"People are becoming bolder now," 29-year old Sina told the BBC on Thursday by text message from the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran. "I went to buy some groceries and people were speaking out loud against the regime in the daylight! I was thinking that the protests will stop but it hasn't lost its momentum."
Just how close is the Berlin Wall moment? Khamenei himself has had to issue a statement insisting that Donald Trump will get deposed before he does:
BREAKING
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 9, 2026
In his first address since protests erupted across Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, slammed President Trump, criticized the protesters, suggested that Trump will be overthrown, and said that the Islamic Republic is not… pic.twitter.com/dgZ2salDmk
Everyone should know: the Islamic Republic came to power on the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people, and it will not retreat in the face of those who seek to overthrow it. It does not tolerate being an agent of foreigners.
Whoever you want to be — once you become a foreign agent, once you work for foreigners — the nation rejects you, and the Islamic system rejects you as well.
And that man [Donald Trump] who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world — he should also know that usually… …the despots and arrogant tyrants of the world — like Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and others like them — when they were at the height of their arrogance, were overthrown.
This one [Donald Trump] will be overthrown as well.”
It's beginning to smell like desperation in the inner circle. Not so desperate enough yet that Khamenei and his entourage have departed for Moscow, but I'd bet the money has moved to Russia already. He's trying to frame this around Trump, but the real threat to the regime is neither Trump nor the Pahlavis, but the ordinary Iranians awakening to the possibility of freeing themselves after nearly a half-century of bondage to radical theocrats.
The collapse is not inevitable yet, but at least this time the US is not intervening to prop up the mullahs and betraying liberty. That is the best opening Iranians have had in decades. Keep praying that they can succeed in changing the world.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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