Iranians on edge as leaders say 'Tel Aviv is our battleground' - BBC News

The authorities defend attacking Israel, but not all Iranians see it that way.

4 days agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, SuppliedImage caption, "Israel, strike the supreme leader's [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] house", reads graffiti in TehranBy Jiyar GolBBC PersianTehran is tense, two days after Iran's unprecedented direct attack on Israel.

Worried about war and its impact on Iran's already flailing economy, a significant proportion of Iranians oppose what they see as the reckless adventurism of the country's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which fired more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night.

In a letter sent to BBC Persian, a long list of Iranian activists both inside the country and abroad criticised Iran's and Israel's actions and saying "No to warmongering!"

Many Iranians also see the Iran-Israel confrontation now emerging from the shadows as being orchestrated by the Iranian government rather than reflective of the will of the Iranian people.

This perception is underscored by a heavy police presence on the streets of Tehran - ostensibly about enforcing strict Islamic dress codes requiring women to cover their hair but which many suspect is mainly about crushing any possible protests.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68823348

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