On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the November 2019 uprising, a bloody nationwide protest sparked by a sudden hike in fuel prices, the clerical regime finds itself in the exact same perilous position. Today, the government of regime president Masoud Pezeshkian is once again signaling its intent to raise fuel prices, revealing a regime trapped between economic collapse and the terror of public fury.
This is not merely a policy debate but a fatal symptom of a corrupt theocracy haunted by its past crimes and terrified of an explosive society poised to erupt once more. The regime’s internal discussions and desperate measures expose a fundamental truth: its only tools for survival are plundering the people and brutally suppressing their dissent.
The regime’s desperate moves fuel public anger
Facing catastrophic budget deficits, the regime is covertly testing the waters for another price hike. According to reports from state media on November 5, authorities have begun quietly removing emergency fuel cards from gas stations. This move, combined with parliamentary discussions about creating a third, much higher price tier for unsubsidized fuel, is a clear prelude to a formal price increase.
This stealthy approach is already causing chaos and resentment. Reports from November 9 confirm that the removal of fuel cards has led to long queues and stranded travelers on major highways like the Tehran-Qom route, as drivers without personal fuel cards are left unable to purchase gasoline. The bankrupt regime, desperate for cash to fund its machinery of repression, is left with no choice but to raid the pockets of the Iranian people, intensifying the economic pressure that has already pushed society to its breaking point.
Panic and infighting paralyze the ruling elite
The mere suggestion of a price hike has triggered open conflict and panic among regime officials, who are terrified of a public backlash. During a parliamentary session on November 8, MP Amir Hossein Sabeti publicly confronted regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, accusing him of breaking his campaign promise not to raise fuel prices. On November 9, the parliament issued a statement directly to the president, expressing grave concern over the consequences of a price “shock.”
Other officials, rather than opposing the price hike, are desperately pleading for it to be done carefully. MP Ramazanali Sangdouini urged the government on November 8 to first “prepare the society” and provide support to lower-income families before increasing prices. This is not a debate about sound economic policy; it is a frantic blame game among terrified officials who know they are sitting on a powder keg and are desperately trying to avoid being held responsible when it explodes.
Haunted by November 2019: ‘fear the inside’
The regime’s paralysis is rooted in the memory of November 2019, when a similar fuel price increase ignited protests across 28 provinces, with demonstrators chanting slogans directly against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The regime’s only response was a “shoot to kill” order that resulted in the massacre of at least 1,500 people.
Now, in a stunning admission of its fragility, the regime’s own state-run media is resurrecting a warning from its founder, Khomeini: “Do not fear the outside… Fear the inside.” The Jomhouri newspaper, on November 8, even suggested this quote be displayed in the offices of senior officials. It warned that internal division, neglect of people’s livelihoods, injustice, and corruption are creating a crisis that the regime “cannot confront.” This is a stark acknowledgment from within the establishment that the real threat to its survival is the righteous anger of the Iranian people.
A sinking ship of tyranny
Khamenei’s regime is caught in a fatal dilemma of its own making. It is too broke not to raise prices and too fragile to survive the public backlash if it does. This crisis is not a sign of a policy misstep but the inevitable outcome of a corrupt kleptocracy that has plundered the nation’s wealth for decades to fund its survival.
As the anniversary of the November 2019 uprising draws near, the explosive potential of a society pushed to its limit is undeniable. The only solution to this endless cycle of poverty and repression is the downfall of the entire clerical regime and the establishment of a democratic republic, a future the Iranian people and their organized resistance are determined to achieve.