Not 12 hours had passed since the attack with which Iran responded to Israel last Sunday when in the streets of Tehran you could already see dozens of posters featuring missiles framed by the same slogan: “I will not give up my land.” country”. But, as the days go by, the message has not stopped being reinforced.
“Iran has just launched the largest drone attack in the world,” said a poster in English written in black letters on a white background that appeared on large billboards with which the authorities seek to project their strength in one of the most cyclical moments of the existence of the Islamic Republic.
In the message in Persian it was clear that this sentence was a headline from the Qatari television network, Al Jazeera, hours after Iran sent more than 170 Shahid drones and 140 missiles towards Israel. The same dynamic occurred with another headline from The Washington Post that reflected fear in the country called by followers of the Iranian system as “the little Satan.” The “great Satan” is the United States.
“Israel shows concern and fear after the night Iran intercepted a missile,” it read in English and Persian, in a clear demonstration that Iran seeks to use this attack to reinforce its image as a regional super power in front of its population, but also in the region.
“It is clear that Iran is powerful. It has always been that way and now it showed it more,” said Maryam, 33, yesterday, who was walking in front of another of the posters with missiles displayed on one of the avenues in Tehran. The woman explained that she feared that this new scenario in which they had demonstrated their military advance would serve as an excuse for the authorities to repress society, as they do again with women who do not cover their heads. “Possibly they feel that no one can stop them,” she explained in front of the poster where a map of Iran was seen from which missiles were taking off.
Hussein, another 26-year-old passerby, said he felt proud. “I didn’t think they were that good,” he said. The slogans on these posters are related to statements made time and time again by the authorities that they will respond with greater force if they are attacked again. “With the smallest attack we will respond with severity,” President Ibrahim Raisi warned yesterday at the military parade that annually commemorates Army Day, which this year coincided with the country on maximum alert for the possibility of a response from Israel. . In the last two nights, rumors of a possible attack have circulated insistently, especially within the diplomatic corps.
“The operation was limited, not exhaustive. “If it had been on a large scale they would have seen that there would be nothing left of the Zionist regime,” Raisi said in the presence of the country’s military leadership, which includes both the commanders of the national army forces, or Artesh, and the Revolutionary Guard, or Sepah Pasdaran.
In front of them paraded the different military forces, but also the diversity of drones and missiles that Iran has developed in recent decades, including the six types that were launched early Sunday morning. In one of the photos captured by the agencies you can see one of the commanders explaining to Raisi each of the prototypes that passed in front of them.
“What we showed today was a small part of our capabilities,” said the army commander, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, in his speech. In recent days the military has sent the message that the missiles used against Israel are not part of the country’s new developments; On the contrary, they are old models. Local analysts interpret it as an attempt by Iran to not reveal its most advanced technology in an attack that authorities said was intended to be precise and did not seek a major escalation. But they have warned that a second attack will include their most sophisticated weaponry.
“The technical, industrial and military independence of the country was achieved thanks to the youth in our army and armed forces,” Raisi said, later emphasizing that this military development had been “native” and not “borrowed.” He was referring to the fact that the economic sanctions and isolation that have marked the life of the Islamic Republic for decades have put the country in a situation in which it has been forced to rely largely on its manpower and technology to achieve the advance in the military field from which Raisi gained his chest yesterday.
This is one of the reasons why the military sector, especially the Revolutionary Guard, feels extremely victorious. “Every day we see more support for the resistance and greater hatred towards the United States and the Zionist regime. And this is a victory and pride for our nation,” he said. He also took the opportunity to send messages to other countries in the region that trust in their armies, “in the Muslim forces, in our army, in the Revolutionary Guard; There is no need for foreign forces in the region,” he stated in a message that made it clear how this new policy of responding to any attack by Israel also aims to consolidate itself as a reference force in the region.
It did not go unnoticed that yesterday’s parade was held for the first time in the east of the city, which is known for being the heart of the military in the country. Until last year, the ceremony was always held at the Beheshte Zahra cemetery, in front of the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, on the road leading to the international airport named after the founder of the Islamic Republic. Another detail for the story is that the Tehran parade was not broadcast live on national television as is customary. “They are taking precautions, without a doubt. They know that Israel is not going to warn of an attack like they did,” explained Ramin, an economist who asked that we only call him by his first name.