'This Revolution Will Succeed But We Need External Help to Reduce the Price of Victory'

Armin Navabi is an Iranian dissident and former Muslim who lives in Vancouver. He is an author, podcaster, and blogger with a large following inside Iran.

This is not the first time there have been mass protests against the regime, but this time we are witnessing a revolution.

This is by far the largest protest ever. When Prince Reza Pahlavi called for people to take to the streets, the reaction of the Iranian people was much greater than even the most optimistic forecasts had predicted. In recent years, I have watched with optimism as popular support for the prince grew, but I never imagined anything like this. Millions of people have taken to the streets, and their solidarity and love for their compatriots has encouraged many more. I think even the prince is shocked by what he has seen. And the same is true of the regime; no one saw this coming: the largest uprising against the Islamic regime to date.

That is why the regime has responded as it has, unleashing unprecedented brutality and cruelty. We are talking about a criminal government that has committed all kinds of crimes, but even for its own standards, this is a much higher level. The regime’s forces are using machine guns and snipers, firing indiscriminately into crowds, and even infiltrating agents who mingle with protesters and stab them. Everyone in Iran knows someone who has been killed by the regime, and the numbers are likely to be much higher than what is currently known. The level of brutality is enormous, and this is the largest massacre in our modern history. In the face of this, the messages we are receiving from inside the country show us the courage and solidarity of the Iranian people: first aid stations to treat the wounded, and elderly people who are putting themselves on the front line to protect the lives of younger people.