"From that brief phone call, a moment filled with contradiction began. How are we not supposed to worry? How can anyone be fine? Within an hour of that call, the internet was cut off. Only a small number of people retained access. News from Iran arrived in fragments."
"War had begun. Yet in the midst of the attacks, people in some areas took to the streets and began to dance. From inside homes came the first shouts: Khamenei has fallen! Khamenei is dead! Small groups gathered, lighting fires and dancing around them."
"For 37 years, Khamenei presided over a transformation of Iran's political system from what was once called a republic into a system of concentrated clerical authority—what many critics describe as absolute guardianship. By empowering the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allowing it to embed itself deeply in Iran's economy, he consolidated his position."
An attack on Iran prompted the author's father to call with news of the conflict's beginning. Internet access was severely restricted, limiting information flow to fragmented reports. Rumors of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death circulated, creating contradictory emotions among Iranians—fear from the military situation mixed with relief at the potential end of his 37-year rule. Despite ongoing attacks, some Iranians took to streets to celebrate, dancing and shouting. In London's Finchley neighborhood, Iranian and Israeli flags were raised together in celebration. Khamenei's tenure transformed Iran's political system into concentrated clerical authority, empowered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and responded harshly to protests, causing widespread family harm.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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