When Iran's armed forces chief of staff declared this week that all Iranians are together in one battle trench, the rallying cry rang hollow with many Iranians bewildered by a punishing war last month and worsening standards of living.
“Our home is not your trench. If you're looking for one, use your own house and stop riding on our backs,” one user said in a message sent to Iran International.
The backlash followed a speech by Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, who said on Thursday, “All of our houses are like one trench facing the enemy.”
“Mousavi wants to use the civilian population as human shields,” one user wrote on X.
Another opined: "Did you care then that Iran’s wealth should be for its own people, and now you’re using the same people, drowning in your corruption and crimes, as your shield?!"
Iran is currently grappling with water shortages and widespread power outages amid high summer temperatures, while also dealing with recovery efforts following a 12-day war with Israel and its aftermath.
Mousavi also issued threats for any further attacks on Iran, saying there would be severe consequences for what he called any renewed aggression.
“Even if only one Iranian remains alive, you Americans will not be safe from the slap of his revenge," Mousavi said in a broadcast live on Iranian state television.
“Iran’s air defense was damaged early in the 12-day war, but since then Iran has rebuilt and modernized its systems. Israel now realizes that Iran’s air defense in a future war would be multiple times stronger,” Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) affiliated Tasnim News said on Thursday.
Israel launched a surprise military campaign on June 13 targeting military and nuclear sites, assassinating senior Iranian commanders and killing hundreds of civilians. In response, Iranian missile strikes killed 29 Israeli civilians.
According to an Iranian government spokesperson, 1,062 Iranians were killed during the conflict, including 786 military personnel and 276 civilians.
The United States capped off the conflict with attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow with long-range bombers and submarine-launched missiles on June 22. Washington brokered a ceasefire on June 24.
