NewsIran-Israel tensions surge: Fears of escalation after Tehran's bold attack

Iran-Israel tensions surge: Fears of escalation after Tehran's bold attack

Iranians fear war "Anti-Israeli sentiments are ingrained in the DNA"

Images source: © East News | Vahid Salemi

16 April 2024 20:38

"Iran will be forced to bear the consequences of its actions," Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israeli army, announced on Monday evening. Meanwhile, many Iranians fear a possible escalation of the conflict. "Anti-Israeli sentiments are in the DNA of the Islamic Republic," says an Iranian journalist.

Experts analysing the situation in Iran have expressed concern about Israel's potential reaction to the weekend drone and missile attacks, warning that both sides could quickly start a dangerous exchange of blows.

General Hossein Salami, commander of the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard, said on Iranian state television that Tehran has entered into "a new equation" in which any Israeli attack on its "interests, assets, officials, or citizens will be reciprocated from its own territory."

General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, warned that if Israel tries a retaliatory strike, Iran's response will be much greater than its last military action.

To emphasise the government's stance, a mural in Tehran's Palestine Square featured the phrase "The next slap will be harsher" in Persian and Hebrew.

Hamed Mohammadi, an Iranian journalist living in Berlin, told DW that Iran is resorting to military means to demonstrate its strength after the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus at the beginning of this month, which killed seven high-ranking officers. Tehran accuses Israeli forces of the attack.

"Anti-Israeli sentiments are ingrained in the DNA of the Islamic Republic. With such an approach, the region's conflict level is gradually increasing," said Mohammadi. "The latest escalation marks a new stage, effectively giving Israel the green light to take more aggressive actions, even on Iranian territory," he assessed.

Many ordinary Iranians seem to be concerned about the threat of escalation of the conflict and are preparing for potential Israeli attacks on Iranian cities.

On Sunday, journalists from the Persian edition of DW observed many posts on social media showing long queues at petrol stations as Iranians anticipated a sudden increase in fuel prices. Supermarkets were filled with people buying necessities such as rice and bread, and the Iranian currency, the rial, briefly fell to a record low against the dollar.

Many Iranians have concerns about the future

Soroush Mozaffar Moghadam, a writer and analyst of Iranian affairs who was forced to leave Iran after the start of anti-government protests in 2022, communicated with people in Iran via social networks for many hours after the attack. He told DW that many people seemed confused, frightened, anxious, and indecisive.

"Among the people I spoke with, emotions related to the consequences of Israel's military attack on Iran, pessimism about the future, and uncertainty were prevalent," he said, adding that in his view, most Iranians do not support the official policy of the Islamic Republic but feel powerless to make changes.

"One person I spoke with, a young man, emphasised that he sees no prospects for his future and believes that the majority of people cannot influence the aggressive behaviour of the government," said Moghadam.