It was planned that on Friday, Sept. 5 — just one day before the large demonstration of Iranians in Brussels, Belgium — a major concert would be held in Tehran.
The decision was made by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highest decision-making body.
The purpose of the concert appeared to be countering the Iranian protest gathering in Brussels. The performance was assigned to a renowned singer whose father was among the most celebrated figures in Iranian music over the past century.
The organization of this concert at such a high level reflected the regime's need for spectacles that could seemingly validate the slogans and aspirations of the supreme leader.
In his Aug. 24, 2025 speech, Ali Khamenei declared, "This sacred unity of the people (with the Islamic Republic), this steel shield, must not be damaged. Today, thank God, unity exists."
He, who often accuses the regime’s enemies of spreading division and multiple voices, sought to use this concert to project an image of national unity and to silence dissent within the establishment.
The street concert was scheduled for the symbolic Azadi (Freedom) Square in Tehran.
But according to Peyman Soltani, composer and conductor of the Melal Orchestra, "popular opposition caused the cancellation of this program."
He explained that many viewed it as aligning with the regime.
The cancellation revealed that a new actor has emerged on Iran's political stage — one capable of standing up to decisions made at the highest levels of power.
That actor, long ignored, is the people and their persistent resistance.
This resistance sees the solution to Iran’s crisis neither in war nor in appeasement of the regime. Over the years, it has :
- Firmly opposed the constitution of the religious dictatorship.
- Exposed profiteers of religion who operated under the banner of Islam.
- Discredited the slogan "Conquer Jerusalem through Karbala (Iraq)."
- During Khomeini’s war against Iraq, raised the banner of peace and freedom, challenging his war machine.
- By continuously exposing the nuclear weapons program, prevented a religious fascism from acquiring the atomic bomb.
- Established resistance units inside Iran under conditions of unprecedented repression.
- Rose up against the clerical and patriarchal system, championed gender equality, and went further by promoting women to political leadership roles.
- And most importantly, forced the regime into a decisive existential crisis.
Is Change More Dangerous Than War?
The recent 12-day war starkly exposed the regime's existential crisis for all to see. As a result, many — even from within the regime’s inner circle — have called for structural reforms to ensure its survival.
Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister who has been under house arrest with his wife for over 15 years, demanded a referendum to change the Constitution to limit the unchecked powers of the supreme leader.
Additionally, a statement released on July 6 by 180 economists, academics, and experts called for "reforms in the paradigm governing the Islamic Republic's system of governance."
The regime knows full well that any genuine reform could unleash a chain of new demands in society — demands that could upend the current balance and weaken the dictatorship's foundations. For a system built on absolute clerical rule, such change is far more threatening than an all-out war.
In his Aug. 24 speech, Ali Khamenei openly admitted that for the past 45 years the regime has been in constant conflict with the global community, the United States, Israel, and now Europe.
For four decades, the Islamic Republic has ensured its survival through crisis making and war mongering. Despite the blows it has endured in wars, the regime continues to beat the drums of conflict. Abbas Araghchi, the regime’s Foreign Minister, declared recently, "If war breaks out, this time we will defeat Israel."
It's therefore highly unlikely that the regime would ever accept zero enrichment or abandon its proxy forces and missile capabilities.
The regime's historical memory is also filled with warnings about the dangers of reform. The clerical dictatorship constantly recalls the final years of the Shah, when in response to popular uprisings the monarchy attempted reforms to preserve its rule.
But those very reforms only accelerated its downfall and ultimately brought about the Shah's overthrow.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a rally of tens of thousands of Iranians and global political figures in Brussels — including Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian opposition — did not hesitate to put strong hopes in the main opposition to the regime, "The time for a free Iran has arrived."
He added, "There is no weapon stronger than the will of a people determined to achieve their demands, and that will now lie with the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and it will be realized."
Hamid Enayat is based in Paris and is a noted expert on Iran. He has written extensively on issues pertinent to Iran and the Mideast region. Read Dr. Hamid Enyat's Reports — More Here.