Iran military and political leadership is projecting confidence as conflict with the United States and Israel intensifies, with officials insisting that “victory” is close despite fresh reports of air raids and assassination attempts across the country.
Heavy joint US-Israeli strikes were reported overnight into Sunday in several parts of Tehran, while central Isfahan was hit again in the morning. The attacks came a day after western areas including Dezful and Andimeshk in Khuzestan, along with several other cities, were also targeted.
In northern Iran, Israeli warplanes reportedly carried out two separate precision strikes on privately owned residential buildings in small towns in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces on Saturday. The attacks appeared to be aimed at specific officials in what were seen as possible assassination attempts.
Local authorities confirmed that several people were killed, though no further details were given. Israeli and US media reported that a senior drone commander may have been among the dead.
Even so, senior figures in Tehran publicly maintained a defiant tone and signalled that retaliation would continue.
Tehran Signals Defiance
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iranian missile strikes on Dimona overnight marked what he described as a “new stage of battle,” claiming that Israeli airspace was now vulnerable.
That message was echoed by IRGC aerospace commander Majid Mousavi, who wrote on X on Saturday night that Iran now had control over Israeli skies. His statement came after the US and Israel said they had achieved dominance over Iranian airspace.
State television later showed pro-establishment supporters waving flags and chanting calls for further strikes, including renewed attacks on Dimona.
Israel said more than 180 people were wounded in Dimona and nearby Arad. Dimona is home to some of Israel’s most important nuclear-related facilities.
Ahmad-Reza Radan, Iran’s hardline police chief, also appeared briefly before supporters in Tehran on Saturday night. Israeli media have named him, along with Mousavi, Ghalibaf and others, as possible assassination targets.
During his remarks, Radan mocked the European Union and referred to statements by US President Donald Trump about Greenland. He joked that if Europe could not “hold on” to Greenland, Iran could step in to protect it, prompting chants of “Allahu Akbar” from the crowd.
Defence Ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said military operations would continue “until the complete halt and surrender of the enemy”.
The tone matched state messaging throughout recent days, including a written statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who was chosen as supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly or spoken directly since then.
That statement claimed Iran’s enemies were being pushed back and said strong unity had formed among supporters of the Islamic Republic.
Mounting Losses and Domestic Pressure
Over the past week, several top Iranian figures have reportedly been killed, including the country’s leading security official, Basij commanders tied to the IRGC, the intelligence minister, and other military and security personnel.
Iranian authorities have also said the war has damaged residential buildings, hospitals, schools and other civilian facilities. At the same time, supporters of the state have remained visible in streets, public squares and mosques, in what appears to be an effort to prevent anti-government unrest.
The rhetoric sharpened further on Sunday after Trump reportedly gave Tehran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants. The strait is one of the world’s most important routes for global energy exports.
Iranian politicians and military-linked media responded with threats of broader retaliation. Mehr, a news agency affiliated with the IRGC, published a graphic map showing power plants across the region, including sites in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, with a warning that suggested those facilities could be targeted if Iranian infrastructure came under attack. The message attached to the image read: “Say goodbye to electricity!”
On Saturday night, state and IRGC-linked outlets also circulated another map showing Doha and identifying the headquarters of Al Jazeera as a possible target, while warning residents of the Qatari capital to evacuate.
State television later retracted the image, saying unnamed sources had stated that it was not official. No explanation was given about its origin or why it had been spread.
Concern Over Civilian Infrastructure
Threats involving electricity facilities and other civilian infrastructure have raised alarm among many Iranians, who fear the war may cause deeper disruptions to daily life.
One resident in Tehran, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera for security reasons, warned that bombing major power plants would do far more than cause a brief outage. According to the resident, it could interrupt access to essential services including water and gas, punishing the civilian population.
US-Israeli forces have also reportedly struck natural gas facilities in southern Iran and bombed fuel storage sites in Tehran. Authorities said the fires and damage were brought under control quickly and did not lead to major disruptions.
In a Nowruz message posted on Instagram, former football star Ali Daei said this year’s Persian New Year was overshadowed by grief for those killed in the war. He wrote that he hoped for a prosperous and free Iran, one defined by peace, calm and public welfare rather than conflict and bloodshed.
His message drew criticism from several state outlets, including the IRGC-linked Tasnim, which faulted him for not directly condemning the US and Israel.
Blackout, Warnings and Information Control
Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has now entered its 23rd day, affecting more than 92 million people and making it the longest shutdown in the country’s history. The previous major blackout lasted 20 days during the deadly suppression of anti-government protests in January.
State media have continued to focus heavily on successful Iranian strikes and to portray the country as approaching recognition as a major global power. At the same time, they have avoided reporting in detail on the scale of US and Israeli attacks or the damage inside Iran.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s national security committee, told state television on Sunday that the IRGC’s overnight attacks against Israel had opened what he called a new chapter in changing the balance of power and demonstrated Iran’s success in what he described as an imposed war.
The committee’s spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, went even further by saying on X that Iran should demand permanent veto-holding status on the United Nations Security Council as a condition for ending the war. He did not explain how or when that could happen.
Iranian authorities have also called for war reparations and guarantees against future attacks, while the US and Israel have continued to push for the removal of the Islamic Republic, which came to power after the 1979 revolution.
Meanwhile, intelligence authorities warned the public on Saturday that merely being part of foreign-based Telegram channels or other banned social media outlets sharing war footage could violate national security laws.
The judiciary said such platforms are considered “terrorist” channels and warned that sending them videos of strike locations or armed checkpoints could result in severe penalties, including asset confiscation and even execution.
State security agencies have also stressed that anyone taking part in anti-establishment protests during the conflict will be treated as an “enemy”.