The Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself caught in growing internal turmoil. Alongside critical crises, including an unprecedented water shortage and economic collapse, viral videos emerged this week revealing a rebellion trend against the regime coming straight from within the military and security forces. The public appearance of soldiers and officers supporting the exiled Iranian opposition, combined with the collapse of existential infrastructure, threatens the stability of the ayatollah regime in an unprecedented manner.
The historic flag of Iran – the Lion and Sun flag serving as a symbol for supporters of the exiled Shah and opponents of the regime – is being raised openly in public spaces. In an unusual incident at a Tehran metro station, two Iranian men dressed in military uniforms were filmed waving the historic flag. Raising the flag in a central location like the metro represents a clear act of rebellion against the Islamic Republic, especially when performed by individuals identified with the security system. The viral videos from this event are going viral in Iran.
A colonel-ranked officer (according to Iranian sources, retired), Ebrahim Agai Kumazani, came out publicly in a video against the ayatollah regime. He denounced the Iranian regime as an "unholy and false regime" with no connection to Iran's history or land. He accused the regime of treason, theft, fraud, creating crises, and spreading poverty and crime. The colonel expressed public support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and called on the Iranian people "to rise up" and act to save Iran. The officer presented himself as a "soldier in the people's army."
Hours after Colonel Kumazani's video started circulating on networks, another officer, Colonel Sajjad Azadeh from Iran's ground forces, presented himself in another video as someone reinforcing the move against the regime. He also declared he is "a soldier of Iran's national army, and a soldier of the Lion and Sun flag." He promised that in the coming days "major events are on the way." The colonel announced that soon the rebels "will tear apart the darkness of lies, fraud, and occupation." This officer's joining the open call indicates a division trend permeating to the heart of the security system.
A new video surfaced in recent hours exposing an unprecedented level of defiance – three soldiers dressed in Iranian military uniforms were filmed burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while shouting "Long live the Shah!" and pledging allegiance to the Lion and Sun flag. This act symbolizes deep rebellion and represents support for the national cooperation campaign launched by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. The campaign encourages mass desertions against the Islamist regime.
In the modern era, the possibility cannot be ignored that the videos circulating in Iran and stirring much unrest are AI videos, perhaps cooked up by a foreign intelligence agency to create unrest in Iran. However, the unrest in Iran is linked to the most severe crisis Iran has faced in recent decades – the water crisis, a truly critical and pressing issue. According to the latest released data, water reserves in Tehran are sufficient for only two weeks, and rare statements were heard from Iran's president about the possibility of "evacuating Tehran within a month." This unprecedented crisis is leading Iran to growing tensions, with the public pointing an accusing finger at the regime and its failed plans.
The possibility that the regime cannot provide water to its residents raises the question: Can a regime that cannot provide a basic existential need survive? As commentators note, a regime feeling the ground shaking beneath its feet might "flee forward" and open an external confrontation or war to try to unite the angry Iranian public around it.
Either way, the lethal combination of internal crises (water and economy) with what appears to be public calls for rebellion from within the military system indicates the Tehran regime stands at a decision point where widespread uprising is no longer a theoretical scenario but a real possibility, strengthening daily.
