Iranians Ask Trump: ‘Where Is the Freedom We Were Promised?’

Newsweek · David Averre, Amir Daftari · 2026-11-01 10:00 UTC

Eight months on from U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, what became of those who would overturn the Islamic Republic and live free?

"We have now reached a very sensitive stage of the final struggle…continue to strike and do not show up for work. To the military and law enforcement forces: this is your last chance to break from the oppressive forces and join your people. Await my final call."

These words, delivered by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi in March to the people of Iran, perfectly encapsulate the sense of anticipation that gripped the Islamic Republic’s opponents and international observers alike over the fate of the regime.

In January, Iran’s security forces had massacred thousands of civilians to crush nationwide protests fueled by economic hardship and repression. Only weeks later, the United States joined forces with Israel to unleash an unprecedented strike campaign, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the man who had ruled Iran for almost four decades, and decapitating the senior leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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