As hundreds of thousands of Iranians take to the streets in a nationwide uprising, a prominent British-Iranian dissident has issued a powerful plea for the United Kingdom to end its protracted silence and offer concrete support. Vahid Beheshti, who has camped outside the Foreign Office for nearly three years, believes the clerical regime is collapsing under the weight of its own cruelty after 47 years of rule.
A Nation Rises in a 'Final Uprising'
The current wave of unrest, which represents the most significant challenge to Iran's theocratic establishment in years, began with a sit-in by shopkeepers at Tehran's Grand Bazaar on 28 December. It has since exploded, with protests reported in over 280 locations across the country. The movement, being called the "final uprising," is distinguished by its organic, leaderless nature, making it notoriously difficult for authorities to suppress.
Violent clashes have seen government buildings set ablaze and statues of regime figures attacked. Security forces have deployed tear gas, even inside a hospital, in attempts to disperse crowds. The human cost is already severe, with dozens reported dead and more than 1,200 demonstrators detained. Despite the crackdown, the protests show no signs of abating.
A Regime's Restrained Response and a People's Resolve
Analysts note an unusually cautious approach from Tehran this time. By its own brutal standards, the state's use of violence has been relatively "restrained." Senior politicians have conceded—however disingenuously—that protesters have legitimate grievances, initially triggered by a crippled economy and the rial currency hitting a record low.
However, Beheshti argues this is far from a simple economic protest. "It is a full-scale revolution with the aim of the total dismantlement of the regime of the Islamic Republic," he states. Signs of fissures within the regime are emerging; in the Kurdish city of Abdanan, members of the hardline morality police are reported to have laid down their weapons, declaring the armed forces are with the people.
A Personal Plea from Exile to the Heart of Democracy
Beheshti's call for action is born of personal tragedy and exile. Forced to flee Iran after multiple arrests and the killing of family members, he continues his fight from London. His close friend, journalist Ruhollah Zam, was kidnapped, transferred to Iran, and executed. Beheshti warns the regime's extremist, antisemitic ideology is actively exported, taking root in Western nations and leading to his own intimidation in London.
He expresses the profound confusion felt by ordinary Iranians, who revere the UK as a heartland of democracy, at Prime Minister Keir Starmer's continued silence. Recent messages of support from Israel and the United States have, however, boosted confidence that the world is waking up to a central truth: lasting Middle Eastern peace is only possible once this regime is removed.
"The people of Iran are facing down the regime with bare hands," Beheshti writes. "They have buried their dead and tended to hundreds of wounded. And still, they do not retreat." He concludes with a stark vision: without this regime, Iran can transform from a global threat into a force for human progress, and history will remember those who stood on the right side.
