Iranians call for retaliation after US strikes

Iranians call for retaliation after US strikes

US President, Donald Trump’s decision to strike three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities has ignited public outrage across Iran, with citizens demanding a forceful response.

“Iranian people are people of honor, and we will definitely give a strong response.

“We will stand strongly like we have been for the past 40 years,” one protester told CNN.

In central Tehran, large crowds gathered at Enqelab Square on Sunday evening. Footage from state-affiliated Fars News Agency showed people waving flags and chanting, “Down with the USA, down with Israel.”

Hamid Rasaee, a conservative politician, noted that even critics of the regime joined the protests.

“A lot of those standing here chanting slogans against the United States may have been critics of the policies of the Islamic Republic. But today all of us are standing in one line behind the Supreme Leader,” he said.

Trump had previously said he would decide within two weeks whether to respond to Iranian actions—but early Sunday, that window abruptly closed. US bombers and naval missiles struck Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites, as well as Isfahan.

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One man in Tehran accused Trump of deception.

“There is no one dirtier than Trump. First, he gives us two weeks’ time, but then after two days he strikes us,” he said.

“We do not have nuclear weapons, so why does he strike us?” he added, referring to Iran’s claim its nuclear program is peaceful.

Another woman said Iran was acting in self-defense.

“We were living our normal lives and they attacked us. If someone strikes the United States, would they not answer? Of course they would.”

Although Fordow lies near the city of Qom, residents said they were unaware of the overnight strikes until morning. Qom lacks an aerial warning system and, like other locations near the targeted sites, remained quiet during the attacks.

Back in Tehran, calls for retaliation grew louder. A Fars compilation of street interviews showed widespread support for military action—especially against US bases in the region or through closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

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One woman at Enqelab Square declared:
“I will stay here even if missiles rain down on my head. I will stay here and I will sacrifice my life and my blood for my country.”

A man at a local market said he supported Ayatollah Ali Khamenei fully:
“He’s moving forward for the sake of our land.”

However, not all voices were united. One resident warned that the regime’s failure to respond could backfire.

“They made all these claims, and the whole world saw that (the US) came and easily hit the Fordow and Natanz sites … but Iran was completely silent. No fighter planes took off, no missiles were used.”

“No sane person will stand by someone who is in a weak position, not even their own supporters.”

Iranian-American scholar Mohsen Milani said the strikes could deepen support for Iran’s leadership and reshape its global alliances.

“It could ignite a new wave of nationalism, damage the future of US-Iran relations more than the 1953 coup, accelerate Tehran’s pivot to Russia and China, and fundamentally reshape Iran’s defense, deterrence, and nuclear posture,” he wrote on X.

As tensions mount, many Iranians appear united—at least for now—around a shared demand: respond with strength.

Iranians call for retaliation after US strikes.

(CNN)