Lisa Fletcher of “Full Measure” asks: “Where is the Iranian revolution by the people to take control of their own country?”

LISA FLETCHER: US intelligence officials say Iran’s pre-war government is still standing, but under growing strain. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence: “The regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities.” President Trump initially seemed to hope the Iranian people would seize the opportunity. President Donald Trump: “I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom, to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country.” President Trump has twice encouraged people to come out, take back their country. There have been rallies over decades // yet the regime remained in power. // what’s it going to take to get the people of Iran to have a successful uprising? Amir Fakhravar is a longtime opponent of the regime and founder of the National Iranian Congress, a US-based opposition group advocating for a democratic Iran. Amir Fakhravar: “Right now, these attacks by the United States and Israel gives us some advantage because regime had everything. Regime had the gun. Regime had the money. It was impossible for us to fight with that regime. This scenario right now is very possible.” He says this moment feels different. It follows years of unrest, including waves of protest that intensified in late 2025. Independent monitoring groups tracking demonstrations report hundreds in recent years – sometimes every few days with Iran’s capital, Tehran, as the central hub – despite violent crackdowns. Amir Fakhravar: “I have been fighting with this Supreme Leader for the last 34 years, since I was 16, and I was arrested for the first time. And me, my classmates, my friends, my family members, we were under torture. This regime has been brutal to everyone. And in this situation, yeah, the people inside, they have a good reason to be happy.” But stepping out against the regime still comes with deadly consequences. Iran remains one of the world’s top executioners. Three men were executed by hanging last week. One of the men, Saleh Mohammadi, was a decorated 19-year-old wrestler. Iran claims they were convicted of killing two police officers during anti-government protests in January. Human rights groups say the verdicts relied on torture-tainted confessions and say hundreds of others face the same fate. You see Iranians uprising in the streets. You see Iranians glad that the regime is being thrown out, but then you also see the opposite of that. You see people sobbing and grieving the loss of the Supreme Leader. Amir Fakhravar: “Most of them who are mourning right now for the Supreme Leader, the dead Supreme Leader and his, whatever, son, and those people, they had a gun in their hand two months ago killing people.” The evolving war includes the movement of over 2,000 US Marines to the area, an amphibious task force that could put American boots on the ground. There is also the possibility of other forces entering into the fight – including Kurdish fighters who oppose Iran’s regime. Many of these groups are based in northern Iraq – just across Iran’s border – and have spent decades fighting for autonomy and against Tehran. President Trump and the White House have sent mixed signals – at one point calling Kurdish involvement wonderful – before later backing away from encouraging a wider fight. What’s it going to take for average Iranians to really step up and fight and hold the line this time? Amir Fakhravar: “We have Kurds. We can count on them a lot. The Kurds in the eastern border of Iran are mostly in Iraq right now. They have been fighting with this regime for the entire last 47 years.” Kurdish fighters have long fought Iran’s regime for rights and autonomy. But experts warn their involvement could backfire, creating tension within NATO. That’s because the Kurds have killed tens of thousands in Turkey, a NATO member, as part of territorial fights. How would Iran run if the regime were successfully overthrown? Amir Fakhravar: “We had the plan for this at the National Iranian Congress for last, at least 16 years, we have been working on it. We just want to follow the footprint of American founding fathers. The US Constitution, maybe some Americans, they think it’s not perfect, but it’s the best in the world.” But do the people know what to do with the power once they get it? They’ve been without it for so long? Amir Fakhravar: “The new generation, they are very smart and they could understand what’s the value of having a constitution in power instead of some people, like king or like Supreme Leader in power. We learn from history and we are Persians and it’s the time for us to come back to the civilized world.” There may be a plan for what comes next. But getting there – in a country where protests are crushed and absolute power is deeply entrenched – is another challenge altogether.

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