Only a Few Steps from Freedom's Shore

I want to talk with you for a moment. My fellow Iranian, my friend, a part of me: remember this day. Remember all we have endured on the winding road to freedom for our Iran, all the blood that has been shed. Remember that we fell, but we joined hands and kept walking toward the freedom of this land. Remember the nights when hope's flame sank low in our hearts and we could almost hear its bones breaking. Then a photograph of Iran, or the laughter of a child on a swing, would kindle us again. We wanted to be the last generation to see Iran in darkness. Not a day passed without humiliation, without being driven into the dust. There were days when breathing itself seemed like a dream. Yet we fought so that Iran and Iranians could breathe. How many nights did we sit with a mother whose heart trembled at the thought of the next dawn? Still, we chose to put the noose of this life around the necks of the tyrants instead. When the struggle left us wounded and exhausted, the kind hands of our fellow fighters reached for us. Yes, sometimes we were alone, but we kept going shoulder to shoulder. For years we fought behind anonymous masks to reclaim Iran's lost identity, and our own identity as Iranians. We swallowed our grief; blood was spilled on the ground and into vials. We want to cleanse our home of those who thirst for blood. My fellow Iranian, my friend, a part of me: you heard the powerful message from the king of our land. A message of hope for a new dawn in our beloved Iran, of a sun that will shine forever behind the lions of this land. Your efforts have brought us to this moment. Lift your head and see where we began and how far we have come. See how we fell and rose again. See that the people of Iran are awake. Lift your head and see how few steps remain. Imagine being yourself again, fully yourself, with no fear of being Iranian. I want you to know your efforts were not in vain. Your cries were heard. Your comrades and I saw you stand on the right side of history. We saw you fight for Iran and your king, face your enemies, and protect every inch of this land. Your integrity has brought us closer to victory. We saw you stand against those who sold their integrity for so little. They have no place in this land today. People inside Iran and beyond its borders await a return to the glory of the Pahlavi era. You heard the powerful, peaceful message of Reza Shah II, promising a brighter future and stability for Iran, and friendship and peace across the Middle East. We are closer to freedom's shore than ever. But remember: the rocks near shore can be more dangerous than the fiercest waves at sea. Let us stay alert and ready to end this nightmare and begin a brighter chapter for Iran. Only a few steps remain until we raise Iran's Lion and Sun flag. Long live Iran. Long live the king.