The damage caused by the unrest proved to be no less severe than the damage inflicted by U.S. and Israeli strikes during the Twelve-Day War.
Author: Ismail Foroughi, Analyst (Germany)
While the entire world was awaiting punitive strikes by the United States against Iran, contrary to all expectations, U.S. President Donald Trump retreated under the pretext that killings in Iran had ceased and that the government had no plans to carry out executions. He openly told journalists that Reza Pahlavi did not enjoy sufficient support among the Iranian people.
However, it is difficult to say what Donald Trump truly intended with this tactical retreat or what maneuver he might use to catch Iran off guard again. Nevertheless, whatever his intentions, they are now clear, and all Iranians know that one of the main instigators of the subversive unrest that caused bloodshed and horrific destruction was Trump himself. The people of Iran and the world will remember Donald Trump’s destabilizing statements, in which he said:
“Continue the protests. Take over roads and key government institutions. Help is on the way.”
Mr. Trump, showing no respect for international law or even the laws of his own country, encouraged expectations of a decisive U.S. strike. Together with Netanyahu, he observed the fires, destruction, and killings, waiting for the Iranian military to fracture from within, for the people and armed forces to turn away from the government’s leadership, and then to enter the confrontation. This did not happen. The Iranian armed forces remained united in preserving the Islamic system; the Islamic Republic suppressed the unrest, and the United States and Israel withdrew from the battlefield.
But what was the horrific outcome of this chaos? Hundreds, and possibly thousands, were killed or injured on both sides (protesters and security forces). Roads were destroyed and set on fire; multiple markets and shopping centers were burned down completely; about 50 banks were set ablaze; more than 50 mosques and sacred sites were torched; dozens of city buses, 180 fully equipped ambulances, 53 fire trucks, and hundreds of government and private vehicles were destroyed. Most police stations and even post offices were burned. Reports indicate that in Tehran alone, 26 banks and 25 mosques and holy sites were completely destroyed.
There is no doubt that the damage caused by this bloody unrest was no less than the damage inflicted by U.S. and Israeli strikes during the Twelve-Day War.
We all know that this chaos began with a trade union strike by Tehran’s bazaar merchants. Peaceful protest is a legitimate right of the people. There is no doubt that Iran faces numerous socio-economic problems. Financial and governmental corruption has reached its peak. However, this dissatisfaction and complaints about worsening living conditions, as well as widespread corruption, should not be interpreted as a loss of legitimacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, nor should they justify violent actions using firearms, clubs, knives, and swords, deliberate destruction, and arson to bring the regime to its knees. All of this was also attributed to the influence and assistance of foreign powers—namely the United States and Israel—which cannot convince the intelligent and civilized people of Iran.
For this reason, at the height of violence and the burning of public and private property, ordinary citizens separated themselves from the insurgents. President Donald Trump, disappointed that the uprising had not spread, and realizing that the Islamic Republic of Iran could not be overthrown from the outside, quickly withdrew from the confrontation.
According to most observers, the main reason for Trump’s withdrawal was his security team’s careful assessment of Iran’s capacity for retaliation and deterrence. Today, the United States understands better than anyone else the enormous military capabilities Iran possesses—especially its missile capabilities—and the significant deterrent power it holds globally. America knows well that a country capable of challenging powerful Israel—an Israel followed by all European and NATO leaders—and even questioning the U.S. military presence in the region, cannot be overthrown from the outside.
Another reason for Trump’s rapid withdrawal may have been that his economic and security advisers recognized the serious and potentially catastrophic risks of becoming involved in a war of attrition with Iran—a scenario desired by China and Russia—and persuaded him to step back.
Ultimately, as is now clear, religious Iran, relying on its great civilizational and historical values, once again successfully passed a major test. Iranians who had hoped to overthrow the Islamic Republic with the help of the United States and Israel must learn lessons from the current realities of their country and from the history of other nations—especially Islamic countries—and understand that the United States has never been the savior of any nation throughout its history and cannot be the savior of the noble nation of Iran. The United States did not bring freedom and prosperity to Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria, and it will not bring freedom and prosperity to Iran.
