To the World Leaders 

Yesterday, during a session of the United Nations Security Council, viewers around the world witnessed a deeply disturbing moment: the Iranian ambassador was seen laughing while two civilians testified about repression in Iran and the regime’s efforts to intimidate and silence dissidents, even beyond Iran’s borders.

This moment captured a broader and more troubling reality. As many former political prisoners and analysts have warned, the Iranian regime does not operate like a normal state—it functions as a closed ideological system that relies on fear, violence, and systematic repression to survive. From the earliest days following Iran’s 1979 revolution, opponents of the regime have been targeted not only inside the country but also abroad.

History provides clear examples. Political figures such as Shapour Bakhtiar were assassinated outside Iran, while others, including Dariush Forouhar and his wife, were murdered inside the country. These cases illustrate a long-standing pattern of eliminating dissent through violence, regardless of borders.

Acceptance of the regime’s ideology has never guaranteed safety. Those who oppose it—peacefully or politically—risk imprisonment, torture, or death. While extremist groups such as ISIS have been universally condemned for similar brutality, the Iranian regime has benefited from extensive propaganda networks, vast financial resources, and geopolitical leverage that have helped obscure its actions on the global stage.

Independent reports indicate that between 12,000 and 20,000 people may have been killed during the recent crackdown, with 20,000 to 50,000 arrests reported. Many detainees have been threatened with execution. Some sources claimed that executions were planned on a mass scale, reportedly slowed only after international pressure increased. However, due to repeated internet blackouts imposed by the authorities, the true fate of many prisoners remains unknown.

During the Security Council session, the Iranian ambassador dismissed civilian witnesses by accusing them of being affiliated with foreign intelligence agencies—an accusation routinely used inside Iran to justify death sentences. Seeing a senior diplomatic representative react with laughter to such testimony was chilling and profoundly alarming.

Beyond Iran’s borders, the regime’s record is equally concerning. For decades, Iran has been designated by multiple governments as a state sponsor of terrorism. According to publicly available U.S. government and independent assessments, Iranian-backed groups have been responsible for hundreds of attacks worldwide, including bombings, assassinations, and rocket strikes.

These activities include:

Support for armed groups responsible for attacks on U.S. embassies, military personnel, and civilians
Involvement in bombings and mass-casualty attacks across the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America
The arming and financing of militias whose actions have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and soldiers, including Americans
U.S. sources have repeatedly stated that hundreds of American service members have been killed over the years as a result of attacks carried out by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and the region. Billions of dollars in Iranian state resources have been directed toward these operations instead of improving the lives of ordinary Iranians.

The regime has applied the same strategy in Syria. In cooperation with Bashar al-Assad, Iranian forces and militias contributed to a conflict that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. Violence is not an exception for this regime—it is a governing method.

Unlike Syria, Iran possesses vast oil revenues, advanced missile programs, and nuclear capabilities. If the regime feels secure and believes the world is no longer watching, it will not only intensify repression at home but also expand destabilizing actions abroad, continuing to finance armed groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.

This crisis is not only about Iran. The Iranian people are paying with their lives while standing on the front line of a broader struggle for regional and global stability. A peaceful Middle East cannot coexist with a regime built on repression, radical ideology, and systematic violence.

The international community must act—not tomorrow, but now. Accountability, transparency, and meaningful pressure are essential. 

Silence enables brutality. Action can prevent another catastrophe.

 

Sincerely,
Iranian civilians
Concerned for the safety of my family in Iran, with no access to information about their current situation due to ongoing communication blackouts