Update IX from The Iranist

May 1, 2026

Salam reader,

Coffee shops have remained open during the war, bringing solace and a sense of normalcy to some amid uncertain times in Iran (New York Times). But between the images of those ordinary moments of day-to-day life, pro-regime women carrying pink Kalashnikovs, and flag-waving pro-regime rallies, the narrative the Islamic Republic is constructin…