Fear, jubilation, jokes: Iranians react after missile attack on Israel

Those who wanted revenge are celebrating, but some fear another devastating war may be on the horizon.

Tehran, Iran – On Tuesday evening, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched an unprecedented ballistic missile attack on Israel, thousands of Iranians took to the streets to celebrate.

While some of the missiles were still in the air, in major cities across Iran, the government sent text messages encouraging people to attend state-organised rallies in support of the attack. Broadcast live on state television, the rallies saw the sky lit up with fireworks and jovial songs, praising Iranian armed forces and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, blared from loudspeakers.

“Watch the moments of impact, where’s Picasso to come take down these moments! Where else are you looking for a subject Hollywood, watch this and enjoy,” presenter Amirhossein Tahmasebi ecstatically told the millions of viewers tuned into the state broadcaster’s popular Channel 3, over footage of dozens of missiles crashing into Israel.

Only days earlier, the same presenter had warned that Tehran could be attacked next if it did not avenge Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan in a major attack on Beirut. He had argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “only understands the language of missiles, and the ballistic kind”.

It first appeared that Iran was exercising more of its “strategic patience” amid concerns of an all-out regional war breaking out, with the government of moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian reluctant to strike during a highly volatile period.