Anti-regime activists in Iran believe a revolution could erupt "any day now" as they prepare to arm themselves against the government, citing public executions, economic collapse, and a protracted war as catalysts for widespread unrest. These individuals, speaking to The Post through a translator via cellphone with the aid of a VPN, described the current atmosphere as being near a breaking point.
"A revolution can happen any day now — people want revenge," one protest leader stated, referring to a January crackdown that, according to President Trump, resulted in 52,000 deaths. Another activist, an independent journalist operating within Iran's underground network, confirmed that preparations for the next uprising are underway, with activists from various backgrounds committed to a decisive confrontation with the current regime.
"We’re studying the protests from January, determining what tactics worked and which didn’t; we’re analyzing maps to determine the safest and most dangerous areas to congregate," the journalist said. They claimed that resistance groups have stockpiled rudimentary weapons and tools across the country, including bricks, rocks, wooden clubs, chairs, and tires for road blockades, awaiting a moment to re-engage.
Small clandestine groups are reportedly working to acquire and distribute firearms to demonstrators. These weapons are said to include those stored in private homes and smuggled from abroad, though the sources of these arms were not specified. "When we went out in January, we were like lambs to the slaughter; the Basij forces were using firepower that you couldn’t believe; the streets were like a graveyard, corpses everywhere, the streets ran red with blood," one activist recounted, expressing both rage and grief. She warned, "Next time we come out, we’re coming out armed."
The trauma from the January protests, where thousands of unarmed demonstrators were reportedly killed, is cited as a primary reason a popular uprising has not yet materialized. "Everyone has lost somebody," the protest leader said.
Foreign mercenaries, allegedly brought in by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, are also reportedly contributing to suppressing dissent. "They pull people out of their cars when they’re driving and search them and search their vehicles," the independent journalist claimed. "This is a tragedy waiting to happen," he added, referring to the regime's alleged practice of arming teenagers, some as young as 13 or 14, to patrol neighborhoods.
The ongoing conflict has also introduced regional uncertainty, with activists uncertain about the extent of U.S. actions against the regime. President Trump recently announced a halt to a planned strike as peace talks appeared to be progressing.
Signs of strain within the government are emerging, with up to 2,000 demonstrators reportedly gathering in Isfahan to protest the public executions of Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi. Soaring inflation and shortages of electricity and water in southern regions are further fueling public anger, according to the journalist. "Even middle-class people are skipping one or two meals a day, there’s food on the shelves at grocery stores, but nobody can afford it," he stated.
While the exact timing of a widespread uprising remains uncertain, activists believe that continued repression and economic hardship could ignite a revolution with a single incident. "We know the stakes, either the regime goes, or we do," the protest leader concluded.