A chronicle of the popular epic witnessed in Tehran and hundreds of Iranian cities on January 12, when millions took to the streets carrying the Holy Qur’an and the Iranian flag, declaring with unmistakable clarity: “This is the voice of the Iranian people”—in defiance of terrorism and its patrons.
🔸 Tehran has never been without moments of grandeur—days when people felt compelled to flood the streets to thwart the enemy’s designs and rouse the complacent from slumber. Yet what unfolded on the afternoon of January 12 surpassed all that came before. In a single word, it was a divine day. From every neighborhood and avenue, people poured forth—drop by drop—holding the Qur’an in one hand and their sacred national flag in the other, until they became a surging tide at the city’s heart, washing away the dust and calming anxious hearts.
▫️ This historic presence was not confined to the capital. Across hundreds of large and small cities, millions of honorable Iranians rose to say, in one resonant chorus: “This is the voice of Iran.” A voice with three addressees.
🔸 First addressee: the terrorists who, in recent days, exploited the prevailing atmosphere and certain gatherings—turning protest into chaos, and chaos into blind terror—committing crimes against people and property. The epic of January 12 delivered a clear message: the guardians of public security, backed by the people, will put you where you belong. It also stripped the mask from collaborators at home and their traitorous allies abroad who seek to exploit public pain and grievances.
🔸 Second addressee—more consequential than the first: the masters of these terrorists abroad—namely United States of America and Israel. Having entered the arena directly months earlier and met Iran’s rebuke, they now dispatch mercenaries to revive a new conspiracy—aimed at seizing the country, plundering its resources, and tearing it apart. The Iranian people made it plain: despite differences of opinion and legitimate complaints, in moments of destiny they stand with Iran—undaunted by threats and unmoved by hollow promises.
▫️ Third addressee: the country’s officials—who, wherever they serve, must honor this people’s enemy-breaking presence and devote their utmost efforts, through wise governance and tireless work, to serving the public and resolving their problems. The epic of January 12 appeared like the staff of Moses, swallowing the sorcery of the magicians and driving Pharaoh and his cohorts to fury—an epic that came just three days after the words of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Khamenei:
“We ask God to fill the hearts of all the Iranian people with the feelings of victory in the near future.”
