The communities I am part of, that are opposed to the Iranian regime, are not considered religious at all. We aspire to a secular society where anyone who wishes to practice their religion can do so freely. This time, it feels as if God really heard our prayers. Raisi was the man elected president and was set to eventually replace Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
His appointment was a declaration: everything that had been happening in Iran would continue—only much worse. Diplomatic isolation, denial of basic human rights, warmongering, antisemitism, executions. For those who want reform in Iran, Raisi was the devil. His appointment was meant to crush our hope.
On Monday, before the official announcement of Raisi’s death, mass prayers were held in mosques in Tehran and other major cities. Men wept and beat themselves, women wailed. We did not rejoice—there is no joy in the death of people, some of whom are innocent—but there was a sense of relief. It's not that we expect someone to bring reforms to turn Iran into a democracy, but it's hard to imagine anyone worse than Raisi.
In the coming days and even weeks, we are going to stay home. Following the riots and protests of recent years, the regime knows there is an accumulated anger and bitterness towards it, especially after Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of the morality police. We are certain the regime will deploy many forces and give them free rein to use extreme violence against citizens who dare to protest or cause unrest during the mourning period in Tehran.
Iranian dissidents celebrate Raisi's death outside Iran's London embassy
(Reuters)
It's no coincidence that the protests and riots occurred after Raisi’s election as president. It's no coincidence that under his presidency, Iran experienced the most intense protests and the most brutal response from security forces since the Islamic Republic was established. He embodied everything wrong with modern Iran, and he reveled in it. People could no longer remain silent. They were suffocating under his rule.
It's uncomfortable to say, but his death came at a convenient time, especially for the regime, in my opinion. Iran's economic and political situation is dire, with rampant corruption. There's a growing sense of complete hopelessness.
The attack on Israel on April 13 was a significant moment in this context. Most countries between us and Israel helped intercept the missiles we fired at them, highlighting just how isolated we truly are. Raisi's fingerprints, as perhaps Khamenei's closest ally, are on all these developments.
For us, this represents a brief respite of hope. Raisi lost once to a moderate candidate, Hassan Rouhani, and when he won the election, it was after Iranian forces prevented moderates from running. But this hope is mixed with a lot of uncertainty about the future.
Will he be replaced by a moderate? We don't believe so. Iran has a path, and Raisi fulfilled it; we are certain his successor will come from the same place. The bigger question in Iran since his death is: who will succeed Khamenei? There's a lot of uncertainty, and this has the potential to drive people to the streets in demonstration of their hope. However, we fear brutal violence.
Ultimately, we know we need to bring about the change. Raisi drove us to the streets, but he also suppressed our desire and will to protest. We were scared. The beatings and losses we endured were too great. Now that he's dead, perhaps the door has opened again, even if just a little.
Israel and America have done much of the work for us so far. No one is currently pointing to Israeli involvement in the accident, but both countries have taken out many leadership candidates from within the regime, the nuclear program, and the Revolutionary Guards. In the end, we understand that we will have to be the ones to bring about the change.
Since Raisi's election, there's been a growing sense among the population that the regime is against the people, fighting them. People didn't leave their homes for the parliamentary elections a few months ago. We're tired of choosing between bad and worse. The riots after Amini's murder were triggered by a series of events. Before that, there were protests over inflation and fuel prices. It’s ironic, but perhaps Raisi's death will breathe new life into the Iranian opposition, injecting it with more courage. People who don't live in Iran can't understand how afraid we were of Raisi. We hope his death marks the end of the radicalization of our country.
The current regime has no public support—maybe 20 percent at most. The elites, the Revolutionary Guards, the security forces, their families, and anyone benefiting from the regime support it. The general public is entirely against them. I hope this accident gives us courage.
If someone asked me now, after Raisi's death, what my forecast for Iran is, I would say I’m very optimistic. I think there’s going to be a lot of bloodshed. It might sound terrible, but to me, it means that finally men will join the women and students in the street protests. Since yesterday, we've seen a heavy presence of regime spies equipped with cameras on the streets.
Many security personnel, some in civilian clothes, are carrying weapons, batons, and electric shockers. Since yesterday, people have been erasing graffiti like "Fuck Khamenei" and "Freedom" that had been untouched for months. Among us, the protesters and the opposition, there's a strong feeling of "heading towards something big," possibly a civil war. In Iran, that's not a bad thing.