Recent joint attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran have led to significant political upheaval, including the reported death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran’s chief of army staff, and its defense minister. These events have sparked the possibility of seismic political changes within the nation.

The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA), claiming to represent hundreds of Iran’s dissident film community members, has expressed support for these international interventions. In a public statement, the organization asserted that the Islamic regime in Iran, particularly after the “national uprising and tragic massacre of January 2025,” left its defenseless citizens with no choice but to seek urgent humanitarian intervention from the international community. The IIFMA highlighted that over 40,000 civilians were reportedly killed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests on January 8-9.

Calling upon the international community to uphold Iran’s sovereignty, the IIFMA’s statement urged prioritization of the protection of tens of millions of citizens held hostage by the Islamic regime. They advocated for targeted actions against government officials and oppressive agents, explicitly asking to avoid harm to innocent civilians, and emphasized the necessity of ending the “archaic cycle of patriarchal violence.” Despite the gravity of the situation, prominent Iranian filmmakers such as Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi, and Mohamed Rasoulof have not yet issued public statements regarding the U.S.-Israel attacks.

In response to the airstrikes, Iran has retaliated by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and U.S. military installations located in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The immediate impact of the initial U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian civilians was initially unclear, but HRANA, a Washington-based Iranian rights group, reported late Saturday that at least 133 civilians had been killed and 200 others injured. The U.S. and Israeli militaries have not immediately commented on these figures.

Further escalating the situation, massive explosions were reported on Sunday in Tehran, the Iranian capital. On Saturday, reports indicated both celebrations with fireworks and dancing in the streets over the supreme leader’s death, as well as protests from Khamenei’s supporters. The prospect of regime change in Iran is considered a highly complex matter due to the deep-seated roots of the current regime, despite widespread opposition. This political vacuum could evolve in unpredictable ways.