President Donald Trump declared ‘near-victory’ in the war against Iran this week during a subdued White House address.
But while the President claimed the end is in sight, his remarks have left Iranians inside the country reeling – and desperate for clarity.
Despite the bold claims of near-triumph, the speech was shrouded in ambiguity, leaving many across the region anxious about the volatile path ahead.
Throughout the address, Trump sought to justify the ongoing military campaign by highlighting the Islamic regime’s brutal history of violence against Americans, Israelis and its own citizens.
But the President’s remarks were notable for what they lacked. He did not address fears of the potential deployment of US ground forces to the Gulf.
Trump also did not provide any update on peace negotiations with Tehran or provide a concrete plan for a transition of leadership. And that’s worrying Iranians on the ground the most.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in air strikes, was announced as his successor. But Khamenei, who has been nicknamed ‘The Butcher,’ is said to be even more brutal than his father.
Labeling the government the ‘most violent and thuggish regime on earth,’ the President insisted that Tehran would never be permitted to hide behind a ‘nuclear shield.’
Notably, he claimed that while regime change was not his explicit goal, it has ‘already occurred.’
But for those seeking a clear alternative to the current government, the President’s rhetoric missed the mark.
‘Why would he say that?’ an Iranian told the Daily Mail in the early morning hours. ‘[The speech] comes with lots of responsibility, and to be honest, there were criticisms of American Imperialism.’
They went on to say that he’s ‘worried’ when Trump speaks of the new regime as ‘moderate.’
‘There is no moderate or someone with actual common sense within this terrorist government. Pahlavi is the only option.’
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi remains the only major opposition figure promising to lead a democratic transition.
Trump has stopped short of an endorsement, calling Pahlavi a ‘nice guy’ but suggesting an ‘inside’ figure might be better suited to take the reins.
For many Iranians, even hearing the President’s words was a struggle.
Leyla, a resident of Isfahan who asked for her last name to be withheld, told The Daily Mail she was forced to call relatives in Europe to get updates due to a total internet blackout.
‘I heard from my family what the President said. We don’t have any direction on what to do next, especially not from our own government,’ she said.
‘Iranians are hanging on to every word Trump is saying. I feel afraid… like we might be betrayed. We risked everything for freedom, including our lives. Was it all for nothing?’
‘Trump’s speech was a little disappointing,’ another person inside Iran told the Daily Mail, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
‘Because if they truly negotiated with the mullahs again, after three years when Trump will leave office, they are going to rise again and do their terrorist attack on our own people and the world. We need to see. Maybe the people of Iran should have another protest in the future.’
‘This murderous regime also recently killed 45,000 of their own people, 45,000 dead,’ Trump said. ‘For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat.’
Another Iranian source viewed this specific part of the address as a tactical show of support for the resistance.
‘I think he knows too well he won’t be able to negotiate with Islamist fanatics, but he pretends he’s kept all the doors open. When he talks about 45,000 killed in two days, he’s siding with us. It’s time to support the people’s takeover,’ they said.
However, not all reactions were clouded by doubt.
An Iranian observer currently in neighboring Armenia, who still has family in Tehran, found the President’s assessment to be ‘pretty accurate’ and said he remains ‘hopeful.’
‘This war is definitely an investment,’ he explained. ‘I hope it ends with a true decapitation of the regime.’
As the world waits to see if ‘Operation Epic Fury’ truly is nearing its end, the President ended his address by casting the conflict as a long-overdue reckoning that his predecessors failed to face.
‘This situation has been going on for 47 years,’ Trump lamented, ‘and should have been handled long before I arrived in office.’
With the fog of war still thick over the Gulf, the President is betting his legacy on a ‘short’ conclusion to a decades-old nightmare – but for the millions of Iranians currently in the dark, the fear remains that a ‘near-victory’ for the administration could still mean a devastating betrayal for those who say they risked everything for a chance at liberation.
