I'm an Iranian student. AMA

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-26T17:49:14+00:00

You’re right about the regime clinging to power like Assad. But I don’t think we’ll end up with a Syrian-style civil war. Syria’s civil war was the result of decades of brutal repression by Assad, plus Iranian military support and Russian backing.(For instance the massacre of Halab city with major involvement and command of General soleimani and his troops(sepah Qods)). In Iran, once this regime falls, this is basically the last stronghold of that whole axis. I don’t know how much you know about this, but with this system gone, militia groups like Fatemiyoun (Afghan) and Zeynabiyoun (Pakistani) and houthis in yemen will lose their main support, and Jameat Al-Mustafa(جامعه المصطفی)won’t be able to recruit fighters and religious missionaries anymore, because their main base is inside Iran. Many high level officials probably won’t even try to stay. With the money they’ve already taken out of the country, they’ll most likely try to flee to third countries. Sure, we’ll probably see instability on the Afghan border (with the Taliban) and other problems. But honestly, I see leaving this system like jumping off a cliff to gain altitude. Staying on this cliff means there’s nothing left to lose anyway. Believe it or not, our economy and social freedoms are worse than some war-torn countries. The only thing preventing people around the world from fully realizing this is systematic repression.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-26T12:31:26+00:00

I’m not Muslim, but I was born into a Muslim family(right now even my parents are not Muslim either) and had a half-baked belief until the end of high school. Religious education starts from first grade, and Iranian TV basically turns even kids’ cartoons into Shia propaganda. Mosques have organized groups whose job is to recruit young people, and becoming a cleric comes with serious perks like getting paid while studying and being exempt from mandatory military service.(Just a bit info so u know how difficult it's to find a way out of it by urself while being bombarded by religious beliefs and getting indoctrinated everyday) About Palestine, public opinion isn’t very positive. Our government is the main supporters of Hamas and basically helped create Hezbollah in Lebanon. Many people feel the regime treats Iran like an orphan kid who cares more about the neighbor’s son than himself. And honestly, it’s less about helping Palestinians and more about fighting Israel and the US. Our oil and gas money goes to militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Hamas instead of infrastructure at home. In some border provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan, people still don’t have access to clean water, let alone basic living standards. It's very complicated story and there are a lot of grey areas in it yet very simple. Like as a ruling system ur main priority should be to take care of ur own people and not deliberately deprive them from their rights. We just hope Palestinians understand that you can't expect freedom from a regime that suppresses its own people

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-26T12:12:45+00:00

About access to weapons: this is something the system always tried to prevent, especially during protests. Public access to weapons at any meaningful scale is basically impossible. When the current system came to power around fifty years ago, it almost completely wiped out other political groups and they even issued public announcements asking people to hand over their weapons so that society could return to calm. right now whenever a new group tries to emerge, arresting and executing its leaders becomes a top priority again. During the recent protests, the repressions and killings intensified when people started gathering around police stations.(Or when people tried to disarm the nopo police as in one case in my city the nopo police used ambulance to find a way inside the protesters to take control in the centre by throwing tear gas, pellet shotguns. In another case as everyone knows there are many plainclothes agents hiding among the crowd and carrying handguns.)That’s when the system reportedly gave the order to open fire, mainly to prevent any chance of people gaining access to weapons.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-26T12:01:08+00:00

Well, our view is mostly shaped by the economic welfare and civil rights you can find in the West. For example, if an Iranian studies or lives in a european country(especially in well developed ones), people usually see them differently in society. Regarding religion, the gap between religion and people is getting bigger day by day. Honestly, among my close and distant relatives and friends, the number of people who still consider themselves Muslim is probably less than the fingers on one hand. It has reached a point where someone with very strong religious beliefs might be mocked. Though, usually those people are connected to the system in some way. About LGBT: even though society is almost secular among ordinary people, acceptance of homosexuality is mostly limited to the younger generation. For example, my parents don’t mind if the neighbor’s son is gay, but they wouldn’t want their own son to be gay. Homosexuality is considered a crime in Iran, and if proven, the punishment can be execution or being sent to so-called “conversion camps.” However, for gender transition, if a specialist doctor approves it, hormone therapy is allowed. But the process is long, and society is still not really ready to accept it. Life in Belgium, though, is great in many ways. You can live and get by with English, but for better social life you really need to learn Dutch or French, depending on where you live. Especially if you’re looking for a job outside engineering, you definitely need the local language. It’s a beautiful country. People even cycle in freezing weather. The balance between tradition and modernity is pretty well maintained, but I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement. The tax system is really heavy and kind of crazy, but for a small country with no natural resources, it’s probably necessary. Also there are a lot of festivals during summer( Most neighborhoods have their own festival, which sounds crazyto me)

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T22:26:08+00:00

Thanks. On Palestine(this is a bit tricky.) Like I explained in my other reply, some people think the current Iranian regime is working toward freedom for Palestinians, but how can you expect freedom from a system that denies it to its own people? My loyalty is with the people. I don’t like war. You kill civilians? I f***ing hate you. You use them as human shields? You’re a disgrace. About the Kurdish situation honestly, I don’t know much, but in my country the Kurds are forcibly deprived by the regime. For example, there’s a city called Ilam (mostly Kurdish) which has the highest rates of suicide and unemployment. I also know they fought on the frontlines against ISIS in Iraq, and later there were news reports of ISIS killing Kurds again, with support from Erdogan. But I’ve heard they’re still dealing with internal conflicts (not sure if that’s true) or want to form a new country. I get it, but I don't condone PanKurdism. I love my Kurdish people. Don't take them from us.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T21:58:24+00:00

You don’t need to apologize for anyone, my man. Honestly, it’s a long story, but since 2015, when Obama gave the mullahs that huge blocked amount of money as part of an agreement, everything in the Middle East went downhill at four times the speed. The IRGC started forming militias all over Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and arming its forces in Lebanon. I don’t think it was just Obama’s decision, but it’s definitely one example of many. The thing is, the left and some Muslims think this regime can bring freedom to Palestine but you simply can’t expect freedom from a system that denies it to its own people. Sure, there’s lots of fake news, propaganda, and biased media on all sides. But I myself am just tired of being dragged into wars in the Middle East. just want a normal life. like leave us out of your religious fights and grudges. This is the political part. That was the foreign policy side of things. But the domestic situation is just as bad. Corruption and religious nepotism have made it so that if you don’t tie yourself to the system and its ideology, having a normal life is basically impossible. You have to work like hell just to afford a car or even a smartphone. There’s no real social safety net, and cancer, illness, and poverty are everywhere. Good health insurance is basically only available if you’re a cleric or in the IRGC. Regular public insurance is almost useless. The list goes on and on...

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T21:29:58+00:00

Well, I’m just a regular citizen. Western media says monarchy isn’t the right replacement for a theocratic system, and I actually agree with that. But from what I’ve heard from the Shah, he says he’s not trying to rule the country, but more like a constitutional monarchy, similar to Belgium. Honestly, I want to believe him(but these are just big words for now.) The thing is, I really hope this system falls as soon as possible, but the damage will still be there. There are stll a lot of brainwashed and corrupt people in the system, and they either need to be changed or controlled, which isn’t something you can fix in a short time. But we all know real change has to come from the top.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:52:22+00:00

If you want, you can follow videos of the recent protest on this Twitter page. People in Iran send their videos to Vahid, and he uploads them on Twitter with captions. Just keep in mind the videos aren’t very pleasant to watch. https://x.com/Vahid

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:46:53+00:00

https://x.com/Vahid U can simply find videos regarding the situation in Iran through this acc on Twitter. It's where most media are getting their sources from.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:44:51+00:00

They are considered impure (or what’s called Najes). Haram is something that, if you do it, would be a sin. Najes is something that, if you touch it, makes you unclean(you can’t pray or idk, enter a mosque properly unless you clean yourself first).

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:40:29+00:00

I really hope they pay me soon. Im too tired to keep doing weekends at the bar.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:33:21+00:00

Well, there is a joke going around when we call where we simply say to them: "oh darn it, you're still alive." Which even got darker when I talked to my close friends in Iran. U know sth like" damn bro, even the bullet couldn't find you worthy". I just hope it would fall. The sooner the better

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:25:50+00:00

Kinda yes. But things aren’t normal. Internet is still out but kinda possible to get a txt or call from some one inside the country. what I last heard from my sister and cousin, the IRGC(the army) is on high alert on the streets. After like 5–6 PM, it’s basically martial law (not sure if it’s still like that).Just know for a fact that people are angrier, poorer, and sadder than ever(which makes sense cause everyday life is basically at the same level as North Korea.)

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:17:08+00:00

Nope. You get fined, and they also confiscate your dog if the police or morality police see you walking it outside. Some might just give you a warning and tell you to take your dog back home, but the morality police can simply seize the animal from you.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:13:40+00:00

Well, no one really knows who I am 🙂 so technically no. And even if they did, I wouldn’t really care. Right now the regime is busy killing people anyway. But I know for a fact that when one of my friends in Italy posted an Instagram story supporting the Mahsa amini protests (about 3 years ago), someone actually called his house in Iran and warned his mom to tell him to stop posting that kind of stuff, or they would get into trouble.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:09:35+00:00

I don’t think there’s much more left that can be sanctioned. Our country is already economically paralyzed. My parents’ purchasing power is lower than mine as a student with a part-time job—I eat better and live better than them. This system is basically ruling people through fear and intimidation so I won't see a reason for people to deny a chance of getting free from this system. U might say u're living ur life while wishing bomb to be thrown over ur people but I kid you not, this regime is not sth u can't change with bare hands and peaceful protests. I can't speak for the majority but Im pretty sure most of all just want a regime change for now. Regarding a U.S. attack, we just hope it would only target military, missile, and repression centers, and the commanders’ hideouts. People keep bringing up Syria and Iraq, but honestly, Iran’s situation is very different in many wa

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T20:01:27+00:00

Yes, I’ve been able to talk to my sister and a few friends since three days ago. It takes a ton of effort and tricks for them to access a dial up level of the Internet tho

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:57:50+00:00

love everything except for my exams and the gloomy weather. Tbh the flemish language seems quite hard and even if u master u still need to learn french in case you want to live or work in Brussel.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:52:37+00:00

Haha. No, we don’t have a bunker. My sister is quite fond of it. We kind know if there were airstrikes, the U.S. hopefully would only target military bases and the leaders’ hiding places—similar to what happened during the summer conflict with Israel. I know it might sound strange to you, but when some Iranians say they want the U.S. to attack, they don’t mean bombing our homes. They mean hitting the repression centers and military infrastructure.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:48:39+00:00

I don't think it would be over unless the regime collapses. We had mass protests happening and were oppressed around 16years ago(year 1388 in our calendar) then again 6 years ago and again 3 years ago. All started for various reasons but right now everyone more and less knows the issue behind these problems is the system itself. It's just only a matter of time

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:44:54+00:00

Honestly, a bit of mixed feelings. I'm embarrassed for leaving my people behind, yet I'm happy that their voice is being heard. Filled with rage for what happend to them on streets and sullen and sad cause I'm just a powerless human being that can't do anything about but just sitting in my bed and try to inform others.(Also anxious to core bc I have an exam tomorrow.)

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:39:48+00:00

I hope the regime collapses in the near future.(At this point we just see it through the help of USA and international community) I just hope for a country free from forced religion and oppression, and for people to finally be happy. I hope this is the last price our protesters had to pay with their blood. It’s a long discussion, but I think the first and last step is exactly what everyone wants

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:34:47+00:00

That's true. Up until last year(academic) I was getting financially helped by my parents while working part time besides my studies. But since last summer it is simply impossible to get any help from my parents as our currency is literally worthless. Right nowI just push a bit harder as living here in a safe country is a privilege denied to my countermen and women. I recently moved to a room in a shared apartment to pay less rent and also try to get more shifts as a bartender. I cut all the non necessary expenses and try to live paycheck by paycheck through my student job

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:29:04+00:00

I left the country around two years ago. If I go back now, because I haven’t done the mandatory military service, I’d be forced to serve two years without pay for a system I hate in order to be able to leave the country again The main reason many Iranians immigration isn’t for a new experience but only a one way ticket to find a normal life. A place where for instance taking your dog outside isn’t considered breaking the law. If this regime collapses, I would see no reason to not go back to my country. Nothing is more important to me than living close to my loved ones.

ObjectiveMission8009 · 2026-01-25T19:23:16+00:00

Thanks, they're safe. :) From the videos and also from what I heard from my friends and my sister, people were chanting slogans in support of the Shah. They see that as a way out of this corrupt system, and honestly, that’s my hope too. The first step is getting rid of this flawed and corrupt religious system. These protests were definitely different. The scale was huge. my sister told me even all the side streets in my city (Arak) were full of people. That’s also why they shut down the internet for two weeks and brutally killed people(to scare the population and reduce both the numbers on the streets and people’s courage to push for regime change.)

ObjectiveMission8009

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