Day 9: Iranians support the Ayatollah

The ninth day of the war between Israel and Iran is approaching. Not a single day has passed without airstrikes since June 13, with both sides launching daily attacks and retaliations.

Despite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi holding talks in Geneva on June 20 with the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany, Iran and Israel exchanged new strikes on the morning of June 21.

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, Israel targeted one of the country’s largest nuclear facilities—the Isfahan nuclear complex. However, no radioactive material was released. A building in the city of Qom was also hit; initial reports say a 16-year-old boy was killed and two others injured. Israel’s controversial Defense Minister Katz claimed that the strike on Qom killed Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestinian branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. For context, the Fordow uranium enrichment plant—considered a possible target for a nuclear strike—is located near Qom and has been a focal point in the conflict.

In response, Iran launched rocket attacks on Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and central regions. Similar alerts were reported in Israeli-occupied areas of the West Bank. So far, there are no confirmed reports of casualties in Israel. In general, international media have provided more detailed figures for casualties in Iran. The Guardian reported that since Israeli attacks began, 430 civilians have been killed in Iran and over 3,500 wounded. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that 639 people—including civilians, military personnel, and nuclear scientists—have died in Iran due to Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile, Israel’s official death toll has not been updated for several days and remains at 24 citizens reportedly killed by Iranian strikes.

Ideological unity remains strong in Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and other officials have stated that negotiations with the United States will only be possible once Israeli aggression ceases. Maintaining this firm position, Araqchi bypassed the United States and traveled to Geneva on June 20 to hold talks with European foreign ministers. However, these negotiations did not produce any significant breakthroughs. Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Iran only wants to negotiate with the United States and that relying on Europe is misguided. Meanwhile, the United States has reportedly imposed new sanctions on Iran. The updated sanctions list includes several individuals, organizations, and ships accused of “supporting terrorist organizations and distributing weapons of mass destruction,” with targets linked to Iran operating in China, Turkey, Yemen, and other countries.

Despite efforts by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi—who seeks to rally Iranians to overthrow the current regime—and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the power of a 45-year-old revolutionary ideology appears underestimated. Many Iranians continue to stage demonstrations supporting their country’s leaders. After Friday prayers, crowds took to the streets, chanting slogans in defense of the government. Earlier, Netanyahu had portrayed himself as a supposed savior of the Persian people, promising to liberate Iranians from the Ayatollah’s rule.