Residents of Tehran are largely ignoring calls from United States President Donald Trump to rise up against Iran's ruling clerical regime, as authorities intensify threats of deadly force against dissenters. In the capital, daily life continues under the shadow of air strikes, fighter jets and severe shortages, with fearful citizens queuing for bread at dawn before retreating indoors. Security forces patrol the streets, and state television has broadcast explicit warnings that anyone echoing 'the enemy' will be shot.

Memories of a recent crackdown in which tens of thousands were reportedly killed have dampened any appetite for open rebellion. The Revolutionary Guard and its militia maintain a heavy presence, while mass text messages urge citizens to report suspicious activity and warn that disruption will be treated as collaboration with foreign powers. A coordinated propaganda campaign portrays resistance as a path to national collapse, invoking the specter of prolonged war, foreign occupation and widespread destruction.

Although the reported death of the supreme leader briefly sparked hope among some opposition supporters, there are few visible signs of organized revolt. Analysts say meaningful change would likely require elements of the military to abandon the clerical leadership, a shift that has yet to materialize. Exiled Kurdish opposition groups have expressed readiness to act from border regions, but acknowledge that without significant military support such efforts would be futile against a regime determined to retain its monopoly on force.