This fear explains the intensity of the Israeli strikes. Iranian experts estimate support for the regime stands at no more than 15-20 per cent of the population. Some 40 per cent of Iranians belong to ethnic minorities, many of whom are openly hostile to the Shia clerics. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused Israel and the US of launching a war that was “wholly unprovoked, illegal and illegitimate”. If bomb shelters are not safe, then nowhere is safe, and there may be similar incidents to come.

Source: The Irish Times March 01, 2026 19:06 UTC