Weapons are now being constantly displayed in Tehran, as a way of expressing strong ideology amid US President Donald Trump's continued threats to potentially resume war with Iran if negotiations break down and Iran refuses to relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz.
These displays of weapons reflect the real threat Iran faces: President Trump has spoken of the possibility that U.S. forces could use force to control Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. The American leader has also said he has sent weapons to Kurdish fighters to arm anti -government protesters.
These performances also aimed to reassure and encourage hardliners, while boosting public morale during a time of great uncertainty, marked by mass layoffs, business closures, and soaring prices for food, medicine, and many other goods.
Sending a message about increasing the arming of hardliners could help the government prevent new protests against the regime, following waves of demonstrations that have rocked the country in recent years.
“This is necessary to train all citizens, because we are currently in a state of war. Everyone must be ready and know how to use a gun if necessary,” said Ali Mofidi, 47, a Tehran resident who participated in a weapons training session on the evening of May 20.
For months, state television repeatedly urged Iranians to join the “Janfada,” meaning a force of “people willing to sacrifice their lives.”
At one point, hardliners encouraged families with sons as young as 12 to send them to the Revolutionary Guard to serve at checkpoints.
Government officials say that more than 30 million people in Iran – a country of about 90 million – have volunteered by filling out online forms or signing up at large gatherings, expressing their willingness to sacrifice for the regime. There are no signs of large-scale mobilization like what Ukraine experienced before Russia launched its special military operation in 2022, when the government distributed rifles to civilians and people collectively manufactured petrol bombs.
However, there have been numerous public announcements and presenters appearing with weapons on live television, aiming to rally and encourage public spirit.
“Looking back at the moment I signed up, I realize that I wasn’t really thinking about the dangers on the front lines. At that time, like everyone else, my only thought was Iran. My life might end, but Iran would endure, and that was what really mattered.”
A recent government-organized rally attended by nomadic tribes in Iran showed them carrying a variety of weapons, from Lee-Enfield rifles to muskets.
However, during the weeks of the fragile ceasefire, much of the arms display was concentrated in the capital Tehran rather than in rural areas – places where guns are traditionally kept indoors.
At the demonstration on the evening of May 19th in Tehran, women and men were divided into separate classes. Hadi Khoosheh, a member of the Basij volunteer militia, demonstrated how to use a Kalashnikov-style rifle with a folding stock.
“At the end of the training course, those who complete it will receive a card called ‘Janfada,’ certifying that they have received basic and elementary training on this type of firearm and are authorized to use it if, God forbid, something happens to our country,” Khoosheh said.
"We will certainly stand up against (the Americans) and will not yield an inch of land. Whether they come from the sea or from the land, we will still stand under our flag," Mofidi said at the training session.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/ten-lua-xuat-appear-giua-le-cuoi-iran-len-day-cot-toan-dan-post1845112.tpo
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