A Dispatch From Inside The Iran Protests
A person saying she was inside Iran was able to share disturbing details about what is taking place inside the country as the dictatorial regime cracks down on protests across the country.
The insider was able to connect with Elina Shirazi, a senior political correspondent at the Daily Mail, over text during a gap in the countrywide internet blackout enforced by the Iranian government. During the brief exchange, the insider described troubling developments on the crackdown and protesters’ hope for international assistance in their struggle against the regime.
Since the regime crackdown on protesters began in earnest late last week, estimates of the death toll have ranged from hundreds to thousands. One text from the insider suggests that the real number is somewhere in the thousands.
“At least 1k only in tehran [sic],” the insider said. “Dead.”
“100 people [dead] in Shahrak Karevan in Afsarie area,” the insider added.
The hope of the protesters lies in “US and Israel intervention,” the insider said. “Without them we cannot succeed.”
“We need foreign power intervention. Institutions like [the] UN [have] proved to be useless doing nothing at [these] important moments in totalitarian countries like Iran. It has been [the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp’s] custom. People protest. IRGC shut down the internet and start mass killing,” the insider continued.
“US intervention is not another act of imperialism! Iranian people want to call the police. … There are people shot dead!” other messages said. “We cannot do it alone and without weapons against a regime that has shown no shame [in] mass killing its Iranian [civilians].”
The insider said that protesters are waving the flag of Iran under the Pahlavi monarchy, which ruled iran as shah before the family was exiled in 1979. Protesters are chanting “javid shah,” which means “long live the shah.” The phrase was considered unutterable not long ago, but has surged in popularity among protesters in the past few weeks.
The insider said an attack from Israel or the United States against the regime would “help the morale” of protesters, at least. The insider also expressed some hope that the protesters calling for regime change and the downfall of the Islamic dictatorship are having some success.
“The population is massive. We are occupying streets in every cities in the country,” the insider said.
“But the regime has no shame killing everyone,” the following message said. “At what cost?”
🚨INSIDE IRAN: My conversation today, day 15 of the blackout protests, with someone inside Iran. Please watch and share as there is little communication coming out right now. #iran #iranprotests pic.twitter.com/iEJoZAFXr6
— Elina Shirazi (@elinashirazi) January 11, 2026
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