Iranian dissident: Israel is our natural ally, we are ready to overthrow the regime

Iranian man opposed to the Islamic Republic speaks with Israeli public broadcaster in fluent Hebrew, calls for the US and Israel to strike from the air while dissidents fight the regime on the ground.

By World Israel News Staff

Iranians hoping to overthrow the Islamic Republic are waiting anxiously for the United States to launch an air campaign that will enable them to topple the regime, an Iranian dissident told Israel’s public broadcaster.

Speaking entirely in Hebrew, the Iranian man, who used the pseudonym “Raban,” told Israel’s Kan in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that he was risking his life by reaching out to an Israeli media outlet.

“[If they knew] that I spoke with someone in Israel, on Israeli radio – [the punishment would be] death, no doubt about it,” he said. “Ties between Iranians and Israelis are definitely a red line for the regime.”

Raban said that the crackdown by pro-regime forces on dissident protesters last month was the greatest national trauma Iran has ever endured but emphasized that the mass killings have only strengthened the resolve of the regime’s opponents.

“It was really such a huge trauma for us, for the Iranians. It is hard to imagine. While you are at war with Hamas for almost two years, 70,000 people died. In less than two days, more than 30,000 to 40,000 people – and according to some maybe even 50,000 people – were killed.”

“On every street we would hear that someone has been killed. It took the Iranians a whole month to really grasp what had happened. We never cried so hard in our lives.”

“I can say that this is the greatest trauma in Iranian history.”

After the deadly crackdowns, he said, there is no turning back for the dissident movement.

When you walk into a river and you get to the middle of the river, you’re soaking wet. There is no way back; you have to keep moving forward.

“We want to go out to the streets again. When the [US] air attack begins, we will start our attack on the ground.”

Despite disappointment over the negotiations between the US and Iran, the protest movement is being revived, with a number of large demonstrations held recently on college campuses.

“While we in Iran are very disappointed now, we are also ready to finish the job.”

“Today there were a lot of protests at the universities. This is definitely the first – the biggest – protest since the rift [the crackdown].”

Raban said that Israel and the Iranian people are natural allies, adding that many Iranians celebrated Israel’s attacks on the regime last June.

“Most people in Iran were so happy with that war. People were so ready to cooperate with the Israelis, they sent so much information to the Israelis. For instance, where the army was, where the regime officials were, to the point where they [the regime] had to shut off the internet.”

“I know there is a lot of cooperation between the Iranians and the Israelis now.”

“We have a shared enemy. If we really want to win this war, we also need to build an international force in the Middle East.”

“There is an Islamist ideology which cannot accept others. They have built a force of death.”