The Red Crescent in Iran reports that 1,000 people have been killed in Tehran by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest with special correspondent Reza Sayah.
Geoff Bennett:
Let’s turn now to “News Hour” special correspondent Reza Sayah in Tehran.
It’s good to see you.
So what did it look like today in Tehran? Bring us up to speed.
Reza Sayah:
Yes, more airstrikes, more air raids in the capital, Tehran, on this fifth day of this war, some of those airstrikes taking place right over my left shoulder. That’s Northern Tehran, earlier in the day to my left in Eastern Tehran.
And that’s where you had that same sequence that we’re so used to. You hear jet fighters going up above. A few seconds later, you hear loud explosions and thick plumes of smoke. It is these airstrikes, these explosions that are chasing away many Iranians from this massive city.
My guess is, millions of people have left the city, fled the city to get to somewhere, another city that’s not being pounded by bombs. Israeli officials, U.S. officials continue to say they’re hitting military targets mostly, but they also acknowledge hitting police stations and government buildings.
And oftentimes around those buildings you have residential areas, residential apartments. And again today, we saw more gruesome, heartbreaking pictures of civilians injured, being pulled out of the rubble. And the death toll, according to the Red Crescent rescue and aid group here in Iran, has eclipsed 1,000 people.
Geoff Bennett:
What more can you tell us about the response?
Reza Sayah:
Well, Tehran views it as bluster. They understand that in this war there’s going to be a lot of bluster from Washington, and they dismiss it. They have their own bluster. They say they’re the ones that are inflicting pain.
And as far as claims that their command center has been destroyed. Remember, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he said they’re operating without a command center and they have activated what they’re calling a decentralized mosaic defense.
This is a military strategy, according to Tehran, where there’s no Central Command, where forces in each province, each area is given autonomy and independence to fight their own war. That means if one of them is neutralized, the other forces in different provinces continue to fight. And that could explain why Iran has successfully fired off so many missiles, so many drones, something the U.S. is trying to neutralize.
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, Reza, the CIA has reportedly contacted armed Kurdish separatist groups in Iraq, suggesting that they may be preparing to join the army in the fight against Iran. Any reaction from Tehran?
Reza Sayah:
Iran is aware of it. They have acknowledged the reports. Remember, even before the reports, you had U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hitting border forces in Iran, suggesting that they’re softening the border in preparation for something like this to happen.
But this has been a long-running threat for Iran, and that’s why, over the past 24 hours, they have increased their missile strikes and drone attacks targeting those separate disc groups in Iraq. But if indeed this happens, if they cross the border, that opens up a new front in this war. It’s more of an escalation, and it’s very likely that Iran is going to deploy more forces, more Revolutionary Guard forces, if they haven’t already.
Geoff Bennett:
Reza Sayah reporting tonight from Tehran.
Reza, thank you.
