Iran’s state television has reportedly called on citizens to incorporate effigies of President Donald Trump into their Chaharshanbe Suri fire festival celebrations this week. The directive comes as Tehran continues its campaign of defiance amidst the ongoing war.
Iran has plans to burn Donald Trump figures, claims report
State-run media outlets are urging Iranians to create and set ablaze representations of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the ancient fire festival on March 18. It marks the last day of the Iranian calendar year. “We must turn Chaharshanbe Suri into a devil-burning ceremony. Using whatever we can, from pieces of cloth to cardboard, let’s make figures of Trump and Netanyahu and burn them in the squares and streets,” state television announced (via Al Jazeera).
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) plans to complement these street-level demonstrations with what officials describe as a “regional Chaharshanbe Suri,” involving ballistic missile and drone strikes against other nations. The IRGC released footage on March 15 showing a Sejjil long-range ballistic missile being launched for the first time during the ongoing war. The missile possesses a range exceeding 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). A new mural at Tehran’s Valiasr Square displays Iranian ballistic missiles alongside the text, “Until the world finds rest.”
Moreover, security measures have doubled across Tehran ahead of the festivities. The general prosecutor’s office sent text messages to residents on March 16 prohibiting fireworks, explosives, and customary bonfires. They warned that these could be “misused by spying or rioting elements of the enemy.”
Residents report encountering numerous checkpoints throughout the capital. “You are certain to face multiple checkpoints and roadblocks and have your belongings searched if you go out at night. You’ll see some during the day, too,” a Tehran resident told the outlet. “The checkpoints are often manned by several cars and sometimes heavy vehicles with mounted machine guns.” The internet remains completely shut down for more than two weeks into the war. At the moment, only the state media and signal-jammed satellite networks are providing coverage.
