Khamenei Is Not Afraid Of A Foreign Invasion To Remove Him, But Is Afraid Of His Own People” Ghipour

According to a video posted on Fox News on Saturday October 10, 2026, Dr. Majid Sande Ghipour, political director at the Organization of Iranian-American Communities, said the Iranian regime is not afraid of a foreign invasion or overthrow from abroad, but is afraid of another major uprising.

He made the comment after the host asked whether talks through mediators to end the conflict mean anything.

The host said Iran’s president had told Russia’s president that Iran and the United States were reviewing new proposals.

The host also showed a live view of the Strait of Hormuz and cited figures from the UK Maritime Trade Operations, including 122 incidents related to the Iran-US conflict so far this year.

Dr. Sande Ghipour said the answer is no in reality.

He described a pattern in which Iran causes friction while also seeking talks with the West, which he called coercive diplomacy.

In his words, Dr. Majid Sande Ghipour said, “The regime needs low to mid-level friction with the West, particularly the United States, because it needs that very environment to maintain control inside Iran.

The situation on the streets of Iran is really what is the main concern for the regime.

“It is not afraid of a foreign invasion or overthrow from abroad. It is afraid nevertheless of another major uprising that it knows it is ill-prepared to survive,” he said.

He said Iran uses its position in the Persian Gulf, its proxy networks, and its drones and ballistic missiles to pressure Western governments for concessions.

Later in the interview, he said the regime can take a military hit from abroad, and that decision makers should not fall into what he called its coercive diplomacy trap.

These views are those of Dr. Sande Ghipour and were not independently verified.

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