Iranians, this is your opportunity.
Twenty-four hours have passed since the elimination of the dictator Khamenei - and the streets of Iran have not filled with mourners.
There are no rivers of tears, no spontaneous waves of rage in defense of the Iranian regime. At the same time, since the launch of the offensive against the rule of the ayatollahs and their proxies, not a single Shi’ite proxy, not a single terrorist organization that has benefited from billions of dollars over the years, has rushed to open a full-scale confrontation with the United States or Israel.
This silence is deafening.
It points to one thing: the system understands that the ground is slipping from beneath its feet. A regime that projects power outwardly relies inwardly on fear, dependence, and habit.
In moments of genuine shock, the basic law of human survival takes over - each person looks after themselves, their family, their immediate circle. Ideological loyalties begin to crack when the future appears uncertain.
This is your opportunity.
Iranian citizens will decide Iran's future
Neither bombs nor missiles will decide the battle over Iran’s identity - citizens will. Go to the prisons and free the freedom fighters who were jailed simply for dreaming of a different future.
Go to the families of the regime officials you know. Speak to their fears, their hopes, and their concern for their children. This is the moment to move people from the dark side of history to the brighter side of liberty, an open economy, and a more secure future.
Regimes do not collapse only because of bombardment; they collapse when internal loyalty erodes. When the question is no longer “How do we protect the leader?” but “How do we protect our families?”
When the clerk, the police officer, the military officer, and the diplomat realize that the world they serve is shrinking, they begin to recalculate their course.
And to the Iranian exiles around the world – this is a moment of responsibility. Replace the flag of the Islamic Republic with the flag of a free Iran at every Iranian embassy in your region.
Raise a clear voice.
The sharper and more unified the message, the greater the chance that diplomats and regime representatives will understand which way the wind is blowing and choose to join the new current of history. The unraveling of a governing apparatus rarely begins in the palace - it often begins in the embassies.
Freedom is near, but it is not a gift. Regime officials may be in shock, but shock alone does not create a revolution. There are moments when history opens a narrow window – and those who dare step through it.
Freedom is not something that is given. Freedom is taken. It is a natural right of every person born free, and such a right is not requested in a whisper. It is demanded, and it is acted upon.
The writer is a former Israeli government minister and a former intelligence officer.