Khamenei’s last video message marking “Basij Week” once again underscored that the Islamic Republic has no intention of reassessing its destructive foreign policy or its repressive domestic agenda. Through a distorted narrative of the Twelve-Day War and unfounded bragging, Khamenei again portrayed the outcome as a victory and asserted that “the people stand with the system.”

The military aggression by the Israeli and American governments against Iran during the Twelve-Day War exposed the failure of the Islamic Republic’s policies and strategic approaches across the security, diplomatic, and defence spheres. This occurred despite the regime’s earlier dismissal of the likelihood of war and its insistence on maintaining a “no peace, no war” posture, whereas Iran became the target of extensive military strikes by Israel and the United States. The country’s nuclear infrastructure - created at great political and economic cost and long criticized for exacerbating severe socioeconomic hardships for the people - was dismantled within hours and reduced to rubble. Hundreds of civilians were killed in the attacks, while dozens of military personnel and nuclear scientists were assassinated. Numerous facilities and residential areas were destroyed, many of which remain in dilapidated state.

“Hamgami “ Coalition for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran condemns the exploitation of the Iranian people’s patriotism and solidarity in face of foreign aggression by the Islamic Republic. The public’s opposition to foreign intervention and military aggression against Iran should not be interpreted as support for the Islamic Republic. On the contrary, it was the regime’s own destructive policies that left the country weakened and exposed to external threats - conditions that persist to this day. The majority of the Iranian people, along with patriotic and civic-minded forces, took an independent stand rooted in the defence of national sovereignty, independence, national interests, and the protection of citizens’ lives and security.

The movement for a non-violent transition from the Islamic Republic to a democratic system—and for political and structural reforms grounded in human rights principles and the public interest - continues unabated. In fact, following the Twelve-Day War, this demand has gained even broader support.

The regime’s insistence on sustaining a state of tension and issuing contradictory signals in its negotiations with the United States - while simultaneously refraining from decisive action—demonstrates that its decision-making apparatus continues to suffer from chronic miscalculations, the consequences of which now pose greater risks to the country than ever before.

We have repeatedly emphasized that negotiation does not equate to surrender. Through constructive diplomatic engagement and the abandonment of nuclear ambitions, the recurrence of conflict can be averted, and the path can be steered toward an agreement that is commensurate with Iran’s national interests.

We unequivocally condemn all forms of harassment against cultural activists, including raids on artists’ homes, intensified restrictions on women’s clothing, pressure to enforce compulsory hijab, and the closure of restaurants and cafés under false accusations such as “promoting veilless … practices” of “serving prohibited items”.

What will ultimately safeguard the country from both internal and external threats is the solidarity of its people and their continued, expanding struggle to secure their fundamental hum an and civil rights. The efforts of social movements to open political space and advance human rights are essential to bringing about the decline of the Islamic Republic

“Hamgami” Coalition for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran
02 December 2025