Trump urged uprising, but as bombs fall, Iranians are 'too scared to move'

"Two weeks into the war that President Donald Trump initially said was intended to force regime change in Tehran, the Iranians living here say their families are mostly huddled at home, trying to avoid both the U.S.-Israeli strikes and supporters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) patrolling the streets with guns."

"If this war were to end now, we would be in an even worse place than we were before. But right now, most people are too scared to move."

"That fear, as missiles and bombs fired by two of the world's most powerful militaries rain down, as well as the absence of an organized opposition, helps explain why Iranians who participated in the protests against their government just a few weeks ago have not taken to the streets."

Iranians living in Dubai maintain contact with family members in Iran experiencing warfare from U.S. and Israeli military operations. Two weeks into the conflict, Iranian families remain confined indoors, avoiding both airstrikes and armed IRGC patrols. Some who initially supported the military strikes now express uncertainty about the future, fearing conditions will worsen regardless of outcome. Despite recent mass protests demanding democracy, widespread fear prevents citizens from organizing street demonstrations. The absence of coordinated opposition, combined with the intensity of military bombardment, explains the lack of public uprising. Dubai hosts approximately half a million Iranians, representing one of the largest Iranian diaspora communities outside the United States.

Read at The Washington Post