The protesters believe the Iranian government is their instrument and is accountable to them. Since it has failed miserably, it should be changed. The leaders of the regime, on the other hand, think the point of government is to please God; they are his instruments, not the people’s. The transient desires of the population are consequently irrelevant and can be ignored or even crushed with impunity.
In a slightly different form, this is the divine right of kings versus the Enlightenment all over again. It is Muhammad against Jefferson.