don't know a solution but this one isn't it
Machiavelli in Discourses on Livy says you are inviting an overthrow of your government by doing this.
The mercenaries can flip sides if the opposite faction pays them and offers them better terms... or maybe the mercs just flip.
Hard to say how true this is.
Regarding Iran, most of their money is from Oil. As throwawayheui57 says. So I don't really think that they would care much for civil disobedience
I have heard that Iranian shops are either closed or running in the least minimum operational way (barely open/working)
Tough times. I hope for a better future for people of Iran.
An amazing level of privilege. In half of the world, if you stop working, you will very soon die of hunger.