"People in Iran know they will have to bring down the regime themselves. All they ask is that the west doesn’t throw the regime a lifeline."

“The [Iranian] regime [massacred] up to 40,000 in just two days in January. Since then, an execution spree has killed hundreds, many hung from cranes in public squares. Still more remain on death row. ...

"The Iranian people’s struggle is one of the great democratic and human rights movements of our age. Yet it barely registers within progressive politics in Britain [or here in NZ].

"Part of the problem is that debate on Iran has become trapped in arguments about Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and military intervention. Those are legitimate debates, but they cannot become the only ones. ...

"The Islamic Republic is not simply another authoritarian government. It has spent decades exporting instability throughout the Middle East, supporting proxy terrorist groups and developing nuclear weapons that threaten regional security. It has become an increasingly important military partner of Russia, supplying the drones used against civilians in Ukraine. ...

"For many Iranians, the recent weakening of the Islamic Republic represents the first genuine opportunity in decades to challenge a regime that has ruled through repression, fear and violence. Inside Iran, the choice is no longer between reformers and hardliners. Instead, the conflict appears to be between a society demanding freedom and democracy and a state determined to preserve itself, at any price. ...

"When Donald Trump launched military action in February he urged Iranians to seize control of their destiny and overthrow the regime. The decision to break decades of western appeasement gave hope. Since then the on-off deal making has left many Iranians worried and confused. People in Iran know they will have to bring down the regime themselves. All they ask is that the west doesn’t throw the regime a lifeline."

~ Justin Forsyth from his op-ed 'The oppressed Iranian people are not asking for much – just our support'