English
“Editor-in-Chief: SHAPOUR-T”
In recent months, Iran has witnessed a suspicious surge in fires breaking out at oil refineries, government buildings, military depots, and strategic facilities. While the Islamic Republic has repeatedly blamed gas leaks or human error, international intelligence analysts believe many of these incidents are part of covert Israeli operations aimed at crippling Iran’s defense and nuclear infrastructure. But a growing number of observers argue that some of these fires may be staged — a psychological operation by the regime itself, echoing the orchestrated wave of schoolgirl poisonings that followed the 2022–2023 nationwide protests.
A Silent War, Blazing Signs
In the ongoing shadow war between Iran and Israel, fire has become a weapon of choice. Israel, already known for a string of cyberattacks and sabotage missions against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, now appears to be targeting the regime’s physical and psychological infrastructure. The strikes on critical facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Parchin show that so-called “red lines” have long since been crossed.
Unable to respond effectively, Tehran is increasingly turning to domestic theatrics to maintain an illusion of control. Fires erupting in abandoned courthouses, rundown schools, or semi-functional government offices often serve more as psychological tools than actual strategic losses. These burnings aim to create confusion, instill fear, and divert attention from the regime’s helplessness in the face of foreign threats.
Echoes of the School Poisonings
Much like the wave of schoolgirl poisonings following the 2022 uprising — a campaign many believe was intended to frighten families and discredit the protest movement — today’s fires serve as another chapter in the regime’s psychological warfare. But this time, the fires are not only about domestic suppression; they are also a cover for the regime’s security failures abroad.
Facing collapse from within, the Islamic Republic — once a vocal denouncer of Iran’s pre-Islamic heritage — has now begun embracing symbols like Cyrus and Darius, using them not for unity or pride but as tools to buy time. The regime’s shift from denial to exploitation of history highlights a desperate effort to survive. Media spectacles and appeals to “national unity” are not signs of strength but clear symptoms of panic.
Iranians Held Hostage Between Fire and Revenge
The ultimate victims of this game are not military installations or government elites — but ordinary Iranians. They die in buildings that lack safety codes, suffer mysterious poisonings in schools, burn on oil platforms, and are still blamed by the regime for their own misfortune. While it fails to stop foreign attacks, the regime turns inward to punish its own people — branding them traitors, infidels, or enemies of the state.
The Islamic Republic isn’t seeking reform or even survival through diplomacy. Its only strategy is to “buy time” — a grim delay in hopes of regrouping for the next phase of internal suppression. But the clock is ticking.
Conclusion:
A regime collapsing under both internal rebellion and foreign pressure now turns to fire — not as defense, but as deception. Yet the smoke rising from Iran’s cities no longer clouds the truth. Rather than extinguish dissent, these fires are fueling it. And this time, the regime may find itself too weak — too exposed — to exact another round of revenge.
