TEHRAN – We watched it happen to Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria over the past 20 months—Israel launching attacks on residential buildings, hospitals, places of worship, and civilian infrastructure. Yet Iranians never imagined that those scenes would be recreated in Tehran, Kermanshah, and Mashhad, with the international community still turning a blind eye.

Israel’s deadly military campaign against Iran, framed as a "pre-emptive" measure, began with the assassination of high-ranking military personnel and nuclear scientists. It targeted at least five IRGC generals and nine scientists in their homes, killing them along with dozens of civilians who were asleep in the same buildings.

The regime believed these assassinations would "decapitate" Iran’s military leadership, preventing retaliation—or at least delaying it for the foreseeable future. The scientists were killed to ensure that, after Israel destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, the country couldn’t quickly rebuild its program. Yet neither of the regime’s predictions came true.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, swiftly replaced the fallen generals. In a firm video message, he assured the Iranian people that the armed forces would leave the regime "helpless." And that’s exactly what’s happening.

Iran launched Operation True Promise 3 the same day its military leaders were killed. Since Friday, Iranian missiles have pummelled dozens of military and spy bases across Israel every night, with most evading interception—despite Western and Arab support for the regime. Today, an Iranian lawmaker stated on national TV that the operation will continue until the regime collapses.

While Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites caused some above-ground damage, they failed to penetrate the fortified underground facilities. In a statement published after the massacre of the nuclear scientists, academics and university students said they would show Israel and the world what Iran’s true nuclear capabilities “really is”.

Meanwhile, at least three Israeli fighter jets have been shot down, and two pilots are now held captive in Iran.

So, what does Israel do when its plans fail and it faces relentless retaliation? It reverts to its old tactic: targeting civilians and the infrastructure they rely on.

Local media reported on Sunday that an Israeli-operated drone, weapons mostly put to use by the regime’s agents inside Iran, struck a key water pipeline in northern Tehran, disrupting supplies. The incident followed a wave of Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure. Just a day earlier, drones hit two gas refineries in southern Iran and multiple fuel storage sites in Tehran. On Sunday, Israeli drones again struck residential buildings in the capital. In the eastern city of Mashhad, they targeted the airport and in  a separate and unusual assault, a horse stable in western Kermanshah Province was hit, killing more than 50 animals. The human death toll from these relentless attacks has now surpassed 300, with countless more lives upended as the violence spreads across Iran.

Civilians in Iran won’t give Israel what it wants

For decades, Israel and its allies have operated under the illusion that civilian terror breeds submission. But Iranians, like other nations subjected to such campaigns, understand that these attacks are not accidents of war—they are systematic attempts to punish populations for the decisions the nation. Rather than sowing division, Israel’s strikes on homes, water supplies, and even livestock have ignited outrage and reinforced a shared sense of defiance. When a horse stable in Kermanshah was bombed, killing over 50 animals, it wasn’t just an act of cruelty; it was a message: No aspect of Iranian life is off-limits. But the response from ordinary Iranians has been unequivocal.

One Tehran resident, whose apartment was damaged in a drone strike in eastern Tehran, told reporters: "They think if they make us suffer enough, we’ll blame our own leaders and beg for mercy. But we know who the real enemy is. Every missile that hits our cities, every child killed in their sleep—it only proves that this regime understands nothing about us. We mourn, we rebuild, and we fight back. That’s the Iranian way."

This sentiment echoes across the country. Far from collapsing morale, Israel’s war on civilians has exposed its moral bankruptcy and strengthened the bond between the Iranian people and their defenders. The government’s swift military response—Operation True Promise 3—has not only restored deterrence but also demonstrated that Iran will not be bullied into surrender.