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Douglas Murray did not mince words on Life, Liberty & Levin when he labeled the ruling clerics in Tehran an imperialist, colonial-style power that projects force beyond its borders. His blunt description cuts through the euphemisms some in Washington prefer, and it forces a sober reassessment of a regime that exports chaos while crushing its own people.
What is happening on the ground in Iran is no ordinary protest wave; it erupted in late December 2025 and by January had become a nationwide uprising against a failing regime, sparked by economic collapse and a plunging rial. Market strikes, bazaars shuttered, and mass demonstrations have spread to all provinces, even as Tehran resorts to internet blackouts and brutal repression to hide its crimes.
This movement is distinct because it mixes economic fury with open calls for regime change and even monarchist slogans, signaling a broader delegitimization of the theocracy across demographic lines. Young people, bazaar merchants, and students are chanting not for reform but for the end of the clerical regime, a development that should alarm every American who values liberty.
Murray’s point about Iranian imperialism is not rhetorical exaggeration; Tehran has spent decades building a network of militias and proxies—from Hezbollah to the Houthis and a host of named and unnamed groups—that extend its reach and threaten regional stability. This is the behavior of an expansionist state, not a beleaguered neighbor, and deserves to be called out plainly rather than excused.
Conservatives should be unapologetic in calling for clear American leadership: standing with the Iranian people, exposing the regime’s atrocities, and denying Tehran the diplomatic cover it seeks. The reality on the ground also sharpens the strategic argument that weakness invites aggression, and recent commentary suggests that strong posture and credible deterrence remain necessary tools in confronting Tehran.
History teaches that if the West tolerates a revolutionary, expansionist theocracy while turning a blind eye to its proxy wars, the cost will be paid in blood elsewhere across the region. Iran’s proxy network has been used for years to undermine governments and to strike at our allies, and coddling the regime in the name of diplomacy would be a reckless gamble with American and allied security.
There is moral clarity here that should unite those who truly prize freedom: ordinary Iranians are demanding an end to clerical rule and risking everything for a chance at self-determination. We should amplify their voices, press for accountability for the regime’s atrocities, and make it unmistakable that tyrants who butcher their own people will find no sanctuary in the halls of international legitimacy.
In the months ahead the choice will be stark for American policymakers and conservatives alike — either empower freedom and hold Tehran to account, or watch as a malignant power continues to metastasize across the region. The right response is clear: stand with the brave Iranians in the streets, bolster our defenses and allies, and never mistake appeasement for strategy.
