Iran experienced a fourth straight day of airstrikes from U.S. and Israeli forces. Special correspondent Reza Sayah reports from Tehran.
Amna Nawaz:
Let’s turn now to our special correspondent in Tehran, Reza Sayah.
Reza, more airstrikes on this now fourth day of war. Tell us about what you saw today.
Reza Sayah:
Yes, just another intense, unnerving, frightening day of airstrikes here in the capital, Tehran. And it just continues to be an astonishing scene, seeing these jet fighters, hearing them zoom ahead and then hearing these earth-shaking explosions followed by thick plumes of smoke, the most intense air raids taking place overnight from about midnight to 2:00 a.m.
Then it was a quiet morning, and then, during the afternoon hours in broad daylight, more airstrikes.
Amna Nawaz:
Meanwhile, we have seen Iranian state TV has been reporting that funeral and burial plans for the late supreme leader the Ayatollah Khamenei are now under way. What more can you tell us about that?
Reza Sayah:
Yes, Iranian officials say they’re planning for it, but few other details. They say there’s going to be a ceremony here in Tehran and they say the late supreme leader is going to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad in the shrine of Imam Reza.
And, obviously, this is going to pose a huge challenge for the establishment, for the government. They want to project stability and continuation. They want to honor the supreme leader, a spiritual leader that to them died an ideal death, being martyred in the month of Ramadan at the hands of the very same countries that he preached against.
So they see this as an opportunity to energize their base, but obviously this is a country that’s under attack, being bombed every day. How are they going to plan this? How are they going to execute it? We will wait and see.
Amna Nawaz:
Reza, as you know, and we have spoken about, when he first announced the U.S. and Israeli strikes, President Trump called for the Iranian people to — quote, unquote — “seize control of your destiny,” essentially calling for regime change.
And in the days since, we have seen some videos, some reports of people celebrating in the streets and toppling monuments. Are you seeing any indication of a larger protest brewing?
Reza Sayah:
At this point, we’re not. Obviously when the death of the supreme leader was announced, there were pockets of celebrations throughout the country. But millions of others came out to mourn his death. The bottom line is, Iran is a country of 90 million people. These are 90 million voices.
Are there many people among this population that didn’t like the supreme leader, that despised him? Indeed, there are. But there’s also millions of people that despise the United States and Israel more, especially with this war. And there’s other Iranians who are simply confused. They feel helpless. They feel under attack and they want some stability.
So that’s the indication of this uncertainty that exists right now. Again, at this point, no sign of any mass protests, mass uprising and no indication of an organized opposition with a clear leader. If in the coming days, it so happens that people come out, it is very likely that armed security forces are going to be waiting for them. They’re aware of that possibility.
Amna Nawaz:
That’s our special correspondent in Tehran, Reza Sayah, reporting tonight.
Reza, thank you.
Reza Sayah:
Thank you, Amna.
