Internal dissent is growing in Iran, as state media projects strength and success in the war with Israel. Independent voices—journalists, semi-official outlets, and ordinary citizens—are increasingly questioning this narrative, even as they face censorship.
In the early hours of Friday, the student network SNN.ir published an investigative report on severe shortages of water and electricity in rural areas like Zahedan and Kermanshah. Hundreds of families are suffering. The article was taken down within an hour, but images of children cooking over open fires quickly spread across social media.
Ensafnews was also forced to remove an op-ed by independent journalist Hossein Taheri, who wrote: “The government shows victory clips but ignores the starving in the south. The people are tired of others’ wars.” The article, deleted within 50 minutes, was shared widely by opposition outlet Iran International. One reader commented: “The Islamic Republic will collapse like the enemy it seeks to destroy.”
Meanwhile, the official Telegram channel of the Revolutionary Guards posted a missile launch video aimed at southern Israel. Within an hour, hundreds of critical comments were deleted, including: “Our children are dying without medicine—who cares about Tel Aviv?” and “You’re risking us all for a religious fantasy that only Khamenei cares about.”