As Israel and the United States target regime assets with airstrikes, leaked videos before the internet blackout show Iranian citizens celebrating, dancing, and chanting anti-dictatorial slogans. These scenes evoke memories of the protests that have rocked the nation since December, brutally suppressed with massacres that left thousands dead. For Cubans, the parallel is unmistakable: a subjugated populace rejoicing in blows against their oppressors.
Jubilant Defiance Against Khamenei
Prior to the Iranian regime's near-total internet shutdown—a tactic previously used during the January massacres—numerous videos surfaced from the country depicting unimaginable scenes for a nation under bombardment.
In Tehran, as reported by the Times of Israel using verified footage, young women ascended their rooftops to celebrate as smoke billowed from Khamenei's compound. A video captures them pointing at smoke columns and jubilantly exclaiming that "the leader's house" had been hit. In another district, a group of young people shouted "I love Trump" in English while smoke from a nearby bombing loomed.
Perhaps the most potent image: Iranians dancing in the streets, an act criminalized by the Islamic regime since 1979 when clerics declared it "sinful" and "lustful." Female students in Tehran were also seen chanting "Death to Velayat" (the clerical rule system), while others shouted "Death to Khamenei" from their windows. One Tehran resident proclaimed on video, "Soon we'll lower the flag of the Islamic Republic."
According to multiple sources compiled by Wikipedia, shops, businesses, cafes, and workers also joined national strikes following the attacks' commencement. The protests took varied forms: street demonstrations, slogans, car horns, bonfires, and the destruction of regime surveillance cameras.
Two Months of Protests and Massacres: A Prelude
Today's celebrations aren't spontaneous. They follow the largest protests Iran has faced since the 1979 revolution, which erupted at the end of December 2025, spreading to over 100 cities.
The spark was economic: the collapse of the Iranian rial, which lost over 40% of its value, rampant inflation, and soaring food prices. However, the demands swiftly shifted to a regime change movement, with slogans like "Death to the dictator" and "Seyyed Ali [Khamenei] will fall this year."
The regime's response was ruthless. Documented investigations reveal Khamenei personally ordered the protests to be "crushed by any means necessary." The deadliest massacres occurred on the nights of January 8th and 9th, carried out by the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militias. Death tolls vary dramatically: the Iranian government admitted to 3,117 deaths, the Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 7,007 by name, while other estimates exceed 30,000. Iranian doctors secretly documented shooting victims in hospitals, and reports indicate the regime killed wounded protesters in their hospital beds.
For weeks, the regime enforced an almost complete internet blackout affecting 92 million people, a tactic to conceal the slaughter and sever protester communications. NetBlocks reported the blackout entering its third week by the end of January, a method the regime has employed again today.
The Diaspora: A Million Iranians Rally Worldwide
Outside Iran, the response was massive. The Iranian diaspora organized over 160 protests in dozens of cities globally from January to February. On February 14th, declared a "global day of action" by Reza Pahlavi, more than a million Iranians protested simultaneously across three continents: 350,000 in Toronto, 350,000 in Los Angeles, and 250,000 in Munich. These are the largest mobilizations in Iranian diaspora history.
Chants included "Free political prisoners," "Death to Khamenei," and "This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return." Many diaspora protestors openly called for U.S. military strikes against the regime, a demand realized today.
Not all was peaceful: on January 11th, a U-Haul truck rammed into anti-regime protestors in Westwood, Los Angeles, injuring several. Deutsche Welle reported Iranian secret services targeting exiles internationally.
Reza Pahlavi: "Destiny Awaits Us"
The son of Iran's last shah has emerged as the opposition's most visible figure. Today, following the attacks, he released a message calling the operation a "humanitarian intervention" targeting the Islamic Republic, not the Iranian people.
Pahlavi urged Iranians to stay home and remain safe but to be "vigilant and ready" for when he announces the "final action." He addressed the armed forces and security: "You have sworn to protect Iran and the Iranian people, not the Islamic Republic and its leaders. Join the people or sink with Khamenei's ship." He urged Trump to exercise "maximum caution to preserve civilian lives."
Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, also spoke, announcing the formation of a "transitional government" and rejecting both the Islamic Republic and monarchy.
A Cuban Reflection
For millions of Cubans following this news, images of Iranians celebrating the destruction of their oppression's symbols resonate deeply. A population under decades of dictatorship controlling every aspect of life, suppressing all dissent, blaming external forces for all woes while the elite live in palaces.
The similarities are undeniable: endless blackouts, terminal economic crisis, humanitarian aid sought by the UN, a regime losing allies one by one—Venezuela has fallen, Iran wavers—and a people enduring until they can no more.
Iran experienced a multiplied version of July 11th: massive protests brutally crushed. Yet, unlike Cuba, Iranians have kept the flame alive for two months, with national strikes and an organized diaspora mobilizing over a million people in a single day. As an Iranian in Tehran said amid explosions: "War is not good, but I am happy."
Today, as Cubans watch another ally of their dictatorship being struck, the question lingers along the Malecón: if the ayatollahs' regime, with its army, Revolutionary Guard, and thousands of missiles, can fall... what still sustains the Cuban dictatorship?
Key Questions About Iran's Protests and Regime
What triggered the recent protests in Iran?
The protests were initially sparked by economic issues, including the collapse of the Iranian rial and soaring inflation, but quickly evolved into calls for regime change.
How has the Iranian regime responded to these protests?
The regime has responded with brutal force, employing the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militias to suppress protests, resulting in thousands of deaths, as well as implementing internet blackouts to hinder communication among dissenters.
How has the Iranian diaspora reacted to the situation in Iran?
The Iranian diaspora has organized large-scale protests worldwide, mobilizing over a million people to demand political change and show solidarity with those protesting in Iran.