Exclusive | Citizens in Iran to N12: "We are living in survival mode, if we receive support - we will return to the streets"
Huge lines at gas stations, galloping inflation, and a severe shortage of basic goods: citizens in Iran describe a daily reality of a war for survival in the face of an unprecedented economic crisis. At the same time, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij are flooding the streets with strict searches, and desperate residents are making a direct appeal to the West: "Trump, stand by us – we want to take revenge on the regime and cannot do it alone."
The huge lines at gas stations in Iran have become the most prominent symbol of the severe economic crisis plaguing the country in recent days. Drivers wait for long hours, many stations are closing completely, and the fear of a total fuel shortage is only deepening. Behind the scenes from the streets are millions of citizens forced to deal with the complete erosion of their daily routine, and in conversations with N12, they tell today (Sunday) about impossible living conditions, fear of the repression mechanisms, and a social pressure cooker that threatens to erupt again into protests on the streets.
War for survival: The most difficult situation in 47 years
Life in Iran has reached the most difficult stage since the establishment of the Islamic Republic 47 years ago, describes Alireza, a resident of the city of Mashhad. "The economic situation we are experiencing today has no precedent in our history. This has long since ceased to be a matter of quality of life, but a real war for survival: there is no fuel, no electricity, no work, no money, no water, and above all – there is no hope."
The acute shortage of fuel directly disrupts basic urban activity. "Gas stations are completely disabled because there is no regular electricity supply," Alireza details. "Gas stations are either closing due to a lack of gasoline, or there are lines kilometers long around them, which leads to the blocking of central traffic arteries within the city. Even gasoline at full price cannot be obtained these days."
"This is a real war for survival: there is no fuel, no electricity, no work, no money, no water, and above all – there is no hope," Alireza, a resident of Mashhad, to N12.
The distress penetrates every corner, including the capital Tehran, where the sense of despair is growing in the face of incessant price increases. "Inflation is raging and the prices of every product have risen several times over," says Amir, a resident of Tehran. "Our daily lives have gone off any normal track. We work only to manage to fill our stomachs and provide for the most basic living needs, while the clergy are busy only with how to steal more and stay in power with the help of force and repression. The hardest feeling of all is that no one has any expectation that something will improve anymore."
Patrols, phone checks, and roadblocks on the streets
Alongside the economic collapse, the streets in Tehran and the major cities are under close supervision by the security mechanisms. "The situation on the ground is far from returning to normal," emphasizes Amir. "Patrols of the Basij, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the police continue to circulate in every corner, and permanent roadblocks are stationed in various centers."
Security oversight is reflected in invasive checks of passersby. "The forces stop people and check their mobile phones," adds Amir. "If they find a picture of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi or documentation from the demonstrations in the gallery – they arrest you on the spot. The regime treats the entire nation as if they are spies, and any minor expression of protest leads to an immediate arrest."
This description is also reinforced by Alireza in Mashhad: "Convoys of motorcyclists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij are visibly patrolling the streets, with the clear goal of intimidating and sowing fear and unrest among the population."
Will the economic crisis in Iran cause the masses to return to the streets?
The fear of the heavy hand of the security mechanisms is currently deterring many from an immediate renewal of the massive demonstrations, but the anger accumulating under the surface may lead to a renewed explosion – if international support is felt.
"If we receive backing and sufficient support, we will return to the streets to finish off these terrorists... There is no use in negotiations with this regime – they have held power for 47 years solely through lies and deception," Iranian citizens appeal to Trump in a conversation with N12.
"If we receive backing and sufficient support, we will return to the streets to finish off these terrorists," declares Amir. In a direct appeal to the United States, he adds: "Trump, please stand by the Iranian people. We are waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, but we cannot do it alone against them. There is no use in negotiations with this regime – they have held power for 47 years solely through lies and deception."
