Here is another precise article about the current situation in Iran. Dan de Luce traveled to Iran as a volunteer in rescuing the Bam earthquake victims. Later on he wrote his observations in Guardian without having the Iranian authorities permission. As the result his visa was canceled and he was forced to leave the country in 72 hours.
One of the parts that I really like is when Dan de Luce talks about the difference between what the world thinks about the ordinary people of Iran, and what in reality they are.
The clerical establishment, with its dour state television and interminable political-religious sermons, likes to present a picture of a society dedicated to Islamist militancy. The reality is something else entirely.
The ideological extremism that accompanied the revolution in 1979 has virtually expired, except among a dwindling minority. While Arab regimes have sought to suppress Islamist political movements, militancy was given free reign in Iran. As a result, it has run its course.
I always have this trouble to explain to non-Iranians that the people of Iran more than being muslim, are Persians, with their own cultural heritage. They obey the Islamic laws (like hijab and etc.) because they must do, otherwise penalty and punishment is inevitable. So there should be no wonder why most of the Iranian women (>90%) in the US never wear scarf, or most of Persians hate bearded guys.