Iranians formed human chains around power plants and key infrastructure on Tuesday after President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s energy sector, as top officials declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend the country, according to wire reports.
The campaign, organised through online sign-ups and SMS messages, drew official claims of more than 14 million registrations nationwide. The figure could not be immediately verified — initial images showed dozens of people at each location rather than the mass turnout claimed by officials.
State news agency IRNA showed people forming chains outside the power plant in the southern city of Bushehr, which is home to Iran’s nuclear power plant. State television and the Mehr news agency showed similar scenes at the main power station in the northern city of Tabriz and at a plant in the northeastern city of Mashhad. In the western city of Ahvaz, people gathered on a bridge over a river following reports that US-Israeli strikes had also targeted bridges.
The mobilisation comes more than five weeks into the war between Iran and the United States and Israel, during which a large part of the Iranian leadership has been killed, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the conflict. Strikes on energy infrastructure would mark a significant escalation of the campaign.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, regarded by some as the country’s de-facto leader following Khamenei’s death, published a screenshot of the human chain registration system and confirmed he had added his own name. “Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is ready to sacrifice his life for Iran,” he said.
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: “More than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I too have been, am, and will remain ready to give my life for Iran.”
The Persian word for self-sacrifice — janfada — became a trending hashtag on social media following the announcements.
Iranians formed human chains at power plants and key infrastructure sites Tuesday following threats from President Donald Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by midnight or face civilizational destruction https://t.co/8U45QxeU8L pic.twitter.com/DHiFmAtEy7
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