Iran Protests: People Want Regime Change, Even at the Cost of War

– Let me be clear: No one wants war, says a former Iranian soldier.

But he adds:

– We are so tired of this regime. Just get rid of it.

The soldier believes war is a price the people are willing to pay.

Demonstrations have been ongoing in Iranian cities since the start of the new year. Two protesters spoke with NRK, and their identities have been withheld for security reasons.

– We can throw stones at the regime’s soldiers, but we can’t overthrow the ayatollah.

To achieve that, Iranians need foreign help, according to the former soldier.

Demotivated Soldiers

In recent weeks, the White House has issued a series of threats against the Iranian regime.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he has built up an “armada” of warships in the Arabian Sea.

The former Iranian soldier who spoke with NRK says war appears inevitable.

– People are hoarding food and preparing for war.

And he hopes it will be a short war.

He claims the Iranian military is characterized by demotivated soldiers and outdated equipment. The forces are largely built to attack Israel, not to defend its own territory, he explains.

– The Americans have a strong military. We hope that if they proceed to war, it will be directed at the regime – not at us.

Demonstrator “Leila” says she understands what the former soldier means, but she poses one question:

– When has foreign intervention ever made life better for us?

– I Don’t Trust Trump

Leila says Iranians cannot remove the regime alone, but doubts Trump will improve the situation.

– I don’t trust Trump. I can’t understand how the U.S. Is going to save us.

She believes history shows that countries primarily pursue their own interests – not the lives of ordinary people.

– No one wants to get into an expensive war to “liberate” us from this terror regime, says Leila.

“Death to the Dictator”

Both Leila and the former soldier have chanted slogans against the regime in demonstrations.

Such slogans could be heard at several universities in Iran on Sunday.

The crowd chanted “death to the dictator” – a reference to the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, BBC reports.

Clashes broke out with regime supporters in some locations, as shown in the images from Tehran at the top of this story.

In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city in the northeast, students reportedly chanted: “Freedom, freedom” and “Students, shout, shout for your rights.”

We see currently unknown if anyone was arrested in connection with the weekend’s protests.

Authorities brutally suppressed similar unrest last month.

Thousands were killed then, and several have been sentenced to death.

Amnesty: At Least 30 Risk Death Penalty in Iran

Eight people have been sentenced to death following the protests in Iran in January. Amnesty calls the trials hasty and grossly unfair, according to NTB.

Another 22 people arrested during the protests also risk the death penalty, according to Amnesty. Two of them are 17 years ancient.

The exact number of people killed in the January demonstrations remains uncertain.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists (Hrana) organization says it has confirmed that at least 6159 people were killed, including 5804 protesters. 92 of those killed were children.

Iranian authorities say over 3100 were killed, claiming the majority were security personnel attacked by “rioters.”

Negotiations and Deadline

Iran and the U.S. Are negotiating a new nuclear deal. The U.S. Fears Iranian nuclear weapons, which Iran denies.

The parties met in Switzerland earlier this week.

Trump said the world will find out “over the next, probably, ten days” whether a deal will be reached with Iran or whether the U.S. Will take military action.

The former soldier hopes for the latter.

– Accepting a deal will not improve the situation for us Iranians. We need to get rid of the regime once and for all, he says.

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Published February 22, 2026, at 08:17 Updated February 22, 2026, at 20:23