You are all worse than each other': anti-regime Iranians turn on Trump

"Like the regime has been lying to us, said Amir*, a student at the University of Tehran. You are all worse than each other. The anti-regime protester has let himself hope for more from the US and Israel, which on the first day of the war had swiftly killed Iran's most feared and powerful man, the supreme leader."

"I genuinely believe now they [the US and Israel] didn't have a plan. I was still hoping I was wrong, but the Shahran attack changed the way I look at this war right now, he said. If the regime is what you want to hit, even if you think these depots were used by the regime, where do you draw the line?"

"We're tense. We are really tense, said Amir. I feel worse when I am alone. Khamenei's death has left us with this weird sense of emptiness. Like I am now forced to think about the future, which seems so chaotic right now. We never got to look at him in the eye."

Iranian protesters who had hoped for US and Israeli intervention against their oppressive regime are experiencing disillusionment following two weeks of military strikes. While the initial killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei generated initial hope, the subsequent intensification of attacks on civilian infrastructure—including residential areas, shops, fuel depots, and schools—has killed hundreds and caused environmental damage. The replacement of Khamenei with his son has left many feeling the regime persists unchanged. Protesters like Amir express deep disappointment, viewing both the foreign powers and their own government as equally destructive. Toxic rain from oil depot strikes in Tehran exemplifies the civilian toll, prompting reconsideration of whether external intervention serves ordinary Iranians' interests.

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