Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Tehran and other parts of the Middle East on Friday in mass protests against Israel, following a week of heightened hostilities between Iran and Israel.
State television in Iran broadcast scenes of demonstrators in Tehran waving Iranian and Hezbollah flags and holding photos of slain commanders from the ongoing conflict. Banners praising Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were visible, with one reading, “I will sacrifice my life for my leader.”
“This is the Friday of the Iranian nation’s solidarity and resistance,” a state broadcaster announced, with additional protests reported in Tabriz in the northwest and Shiraz in the south.
The outpouring of anger follows Israel’s heavy air assault on Iran last week, which triggered Iran’s retaliatory missile barrage on Israeli targets. In Tehran, Friday prayers leader Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari told worshippers the attack was a sign of Israeli “despair” and accused Tel Aviv of waging a psychological war to divide the Iranian people from their leadership.
Meanwhile, anti-Israel protests erupted across the region, raising concerns about a broader regional war involving Iran-backed factions.
In Iraq, thousands of followers of influential cleric Moqtada Sadr marched in Baghdad’s Sadr City and in cities like Kufa, chanting “No to Israel! No to America!” Protesters accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking dominance in the Middle East. In Kufa, demonstrators burned Israeli and American flags.
“It is an unjust war… Israel has no right,” said protester Abu Hussein, a 54-year-old taxi driver. “It’s not about Iran’s nuclear programme. It’s about control.”
Hezbollah supporters also rallied in southern Beirut, waving flags of Iran, Lebanon, and Hezbollah. Protesters, including families and youths, voiced solidarity with Tehran while maintaining a defensive posture. “If anyone attacks us, we will defend ourselves,” said 60-year-old Adnan Zaytoun, “but we do not support war.”
In Yemen, tens of thousands marched in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere in Huthi-controlled areas, according to the group’s official media, reinforcing Tehran’s regional support network.
As tensions mount, the prospect of wider regional involvement remains a serious concern. Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have warned they could target U.S. interests if Washington intervenes militarily in support of Israel.
With no signs of de-escalation, international observers are increasingly alarmed at the growing potential for a full-scale Middle East war.
Written By Rodney Mbua
