Why some Iranians are telling Israel to attack

As Iran attacked Israel on Saturday, Persian Twitter (X) lit up with English and Farsi accounts proclaiming #iraniansstandwithisrael. On Sunday, many posted images of graffiti from Tehran including, in English and Farsi: “Hit them, Israel, Iranians are behind you.” The Iranian authorities have experienced nationwide protests since the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The relationship between Israel and Iran’s opposition is complicated. Protest chants include “not Gaza, not Lebanon, I give my life to Iran,” a reference to Iranian proxy groups Hamas and Hezbollah. But Vahid Beheshti, 47, an Iranian opposition activist currently camped outside the Foreign Office in London – demanding the UK declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organisation – told Tortoise: “Ninety per cent of the Iranian population are fully behind Israel. The Iranian regime took its mask off, came out from behind these proxies and launched its attack. Israel should and must retaliate and retaliate in force immediately.” G7 leaders worry it will do just that.