Seen in MSN/Newsweek:
A former Iranian Air Force pilot on Thursday urged those in the country’s military to safeguard Iranian citizens and not the interests of the government, as protests turned deadly.
In a video shared by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, Colonel Fereydoun Ezzedasti said that while he wore a military uniform many years ago, his service never ended.
“A soldier is responsible for safeguarding the life, security and honor of his own nation until his last breath,” Ezzedasti said in the clip. “Today, the noble nation of Iran, weary yet steadfast, has pinned its hopes on you. You have donned this uniform to defend your fellow countrymen; not to suppress them.”
The video message came as protests erupted across Iran over a failing economy, with Iranian forces seeking to end the unrest, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier Thursday that officials needed to listen to the concerns of Iranians or face going to hell.
All year, Iran has not been covered on the front page by the American press unless it’s a military target of the Administration, until yesterday, when CNN began noting uproar in Tehran. I’ve been seeing reports of a water shortage, political repression, and economic degradation for years.
It’s the latter issue that’ll trigger the Administration to proclaim it as a Trumpian accomplishment, strutting about with their chests prominent due to the military strike on Iranian nuclear sites this year, but the truth of the matter is that multiple Administrations have contributed to the suppression of the toxic Iranian regime which may now be collapsing. Call it all softening it up.
Whether this means the restoration of the monarchy or some sort of democracy is unclear, and I have no idea of the preferences of the Iranian people.
