Iranian festival was turned into protest

Iranian state media has urged people to turn this year’s Chaharshanbe Suri fire festival into a political show of defiance by burning effigies of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The message came as fighting with Israel continued and officials tried to shape public mood during the third week of the conflict. Reports Aljazeera.com.

At the same time, authorities in Tehran warned residents not to use fireworks, explosives or even traditional bonfires, saying such acts could be exploited by hostile groups. Despite that restriction, state television called on citizens to make symbolic figures from cloth or cardboard and burn them in public squares and streets.

Security has also been tightened across the capital. Residents described checkpoints, roadblocks and patrols by Basij forces linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, especially at night. Pro-government supporters have also gathered in mosques and public spaces to chant religious and anti-US slogans, while some neighborhoods have seen organized motorcades.

Iranian officials have also continued their hard-line messaging on the battlefield. State media highlighted missile and drone attacks by the IRGC, including the reported wartime use of the long-range Sejjil ballistic missile. Tehran has rejected talks with Washington and says any end to the war would require compensation and guarantees against future attacks.