'I just want to be able to sleep': Attacks in Iran rock cities and cut power
Analysis Summary
This article tries to convince you that ongoing military attacks on Iran, despite causing suffering, are acceptable because they might lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government. It does this by creating a sense of 'us vs. them' and appealing to your emotions, making you believe that some Iranians actually welcome these attacks as a path to freedom. The article leaves out critical details about the broader reasons for these conflicts and focuses on specific stories that support this idea, making the violence seem more justifiable.
Cross-Outlet PSYOP Detected
This article is part of a narrative being pushed across multiple outlets:
FATE Analysis
Four dimensions of psychological manipulation: how content captures Focus, exploits Authority, triggers Tribal identity, and engineers Emotion.
Focus signals
"Smoke plumes billowed following strikes near Azadi Tower in western Tehran on Monday night Iranians have told BBC Persian that they are exhausted and struggling to sleep after 10 days of Israeli and US attacks, as explosions "every few hours" rocked Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj overnight and cut power."
Starts with vivid, dramatic imagery and immediate, personal impact to grab attention. The '10 days of attacks' suggests an ongoing, critical situation.
"A woman in her 20s in Tehran said there were explosions "every few hours" and a strange white light in the sky that seemed different than nights before."
Highlights an unusual, potentially alarming observation ('strange white light... different than nights before') to create a sense of unfolding, unprecedented events.
Authority signals
"Ghoncheh Habibiazad,BBC PersianandMallory MoenchAFP via Getty Images"
The byline lists major news organizations (BBC Persian, AFP) and Getty Images, lending perceived credibility and weight to the reporting through established media brands.
"The Israeli military announced that it had begun a "broad wave of strikes against terror targets in Tehran"."
Cites statements from the Israeli military, leveraging the perceived authority of a state military organization as a primary source for claims about the strikes.
"On Monday, the US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reported that 1,761 people had been killed in Iran - including at least 1,245 civilians, 194 of them children - since the war started."
Refers to HRANA, a human rights organization, to provide casualty figures, using its institutional credibility to bolster the factual claims.
Tribe signals
"However, she said, "even if it takes a few weeks now, it's still better than spending a lifetime living with this system", reflecting the sentiment of those who want to see an end to the Islamic Republic."
Clearly establishes an 'us vs. them' dynamic: those who want to end the Islamic Republic ('us') versus the 'system' (the Islamic Republic 'them'). Weaponizes the desire for change as a tribal marker.
"The man said he would "tolerate this situation as long as the regime is gone"."
Further reinforces the 'us vs. them' framing, directly juxtaposing the citizens' suffering against the continued existence of 'the regime'.
""But we are standing firm until the end to survive and to be free. Even if we are killed, it honestly does not matter compared to the lives that have already been lost in the hope of victory,""
This quote strongly creates an 'us vs. them' narrative by positioning the speaker (and by extension, the implied 'us' of the Iranian opposition) as 'standing firm' and willing to die for 'victory' against an unnamed oppressive 'them', implicitly the current system or regime.
"A mother and middle class restaurateur in her 50s, who lives in the Mehrshahr residential neighbourhood of Karaj, said there was a strike near her home overnight, "the closest place to us, and we truly felt the shadow of death over our heads". "But we are standing firm until the end to survive and to be free. Even if we are killed, it honestly does not matter compared to the lives that have already been lost in the hope of victory," she said."
This quote uses the individual's suffering and her resilience to align her, and by extension the reader, with a collective identity fighting for freedom against a powerful 'system'. The willingness to sacrifice and endure danger effectively weaponizes this desire for freedom as a tribal identity.
""We are the victims," he said. "I have been harmed by the Islamic Republic, and because of it a war is now happening that is harming us again.""
Explicitly casts a group ('we') as 'victims' of both the Islamic Republic and the current war, creating a clear adversarial 'us vs. them' dynamic where the regime is the source of suffering.
Emotion signals
"Iranians have told BBC Persian that they are exhausted and struggling to sleep after 10 days of Israeli and US attacks, as explosions "every few hours" rocked Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj overnight and cut power."
Immediately evokes fear and distress through descriptions of exhaustion, inability to sleep, and constant explosions, creating a sense of insecurity and danger for the residents.
""They hit a street near us today. I just want to be able to sleep tonight," a man in his 20s in the capital said.Another in his 20s in Tehran said "we're still alive," but added that "where missiles hit is getting closer and closer every day.""
These quotes directly convey the fear of imminent danger and the escalating threat, with the proximity of strikes and the 'still alive' sentiment highlighting constant peril.
"A mother and middle class restaurateur in her 50s, who lives in the Mehrshahr residential neighbourhood of Karaj... "But we are standing firm until the end to survive and to be free. Even if we are killed, it honestly does not matter compared to the lives that have already been lost in the hope of victory," she said."
This quote is highly emotional, aiming to inspire moral admiration and a sense of shared righteousness ('standing firm to survive and to be free'), suggesting a moral superiority in their cause even in the face of death. This is manipulative because it attempts to frame the conflict in stark moral terms without full context.
"HRANA has reported that at least 6,480 protesters were killed and 25,000 others injured in a brutal crackdown by security forces. "We are the victims," he said. "I have been harmed by the Islamic Republic, and because of it a war is now happening that is harming us again.""
The graphic details of casualties and injuries from a 'brutal crackdown' are presented to evoke outrage against the 'Islamic Republic' and sympathy for the 'victims.' The last line connects this past suffering to the current war, indicating ongoing injustice and manufacturing outrage.
Narrative Analysis (PCP)
How the article reshapes thinking: Perception (what beliefs are targeted), Context (what information is shifted or omitted), and Permission (what behavior is being encouraged).
The article aims to instill the belief that military actions against Iran, even those causing significant disruption and fear, are a necessary evil or even a pathway to freedom for the Iranian people, particularly for those dissatisfied with the current Iranian government. It wants the reader to believe that the suffering caused by the strikes is tolerated by a significant portion of the population as a means to an end (overthrowing the regime).
The article shifts the context of foreign military strikes, which are typically viewed as acts of war with devastating consequences, to acts that, while painful, are accepted or even welcomed by a segment of the targeted population as a means to achieve political change. This reframes the 'collateral damage' as a price worth paying for 'freedom'.
The article omits deeper geopolitical context regarding the historical US and Israeli involvement in Iran, the motivations behind the strikes beyond 'terror targets,' and the potential long-term, widespread suffering and instability that large-scale military conflict could unleash, focusing instead on individual testimonies that support a specific narrative. It also presents the '1,761 people killed' including '1,245 civilians' in Iran as casualties since 'the war started' without explicitly detailing who is responsible for these deaths, leaving it ambiguous while simultaneously highlighting 'Israeli and US attacks'.
The article implicitly grants permission to view ongoing military actions against Iran with a degree of acceptance, even empathy for the objectives of the attackers, by suggesting that some Iranians themselves would endorse such actions as a path to liberation. It encourages a stance of understanding or toleration for the disruptive and violent actions because 'the end justifies the means' for the suffering population.
SMRP Pattern
Four manipulation maintenance tactics: Socializing the idea as normal, Minimizing concerns, Rationalizing with logic, and Projecting blame.
"However, she said, 'even if it takes a few weeks now, it's still better than spending a lifetime living with this system', reflecting the sentiment of those who want to see an end to the Islamic Republic."
"But we are standing firm until the end to survive and to be free. Even if we are killed, it honestly does not matter compared to the lives that have already been lost in the hope of victory"
"The man said he would 'tolerate this situation as long as the regime is gone'."
"We are the victims,' he said. 'I have been harmed by the Islamic Republic, and because of it a war is now happening that is harming us again.'"
Red Flags
High-severity indicators: silencing dissent, coordinated messaging, or weaponizing identity to shut down debate.
"The Israeli military announced that it had begun a "broad wave of strikes against terror targets in Tehran". The military said on Tuesday morning that it had targeted an underground complex used by the Revolutionary Guards for weapons research, infrastructure within the main headquarters of the Quds Force, the Guards' overseas operations arm, and other weapons and defence production sites. Another "wave of strikes" was launched in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, according to the military."
Techniques Found(7)
Specific propaganda techniques identified using the SemEval-2023 academic taxonomy of 23 techniques across 6 categories.
"Smoke plumes billowed following strikes near Azadi Tower in western Tehran on Monday nightIranians have told BBC Persian that they are exhausted and struggling to sleep after 10 days of Israeli and US attacks, as explosions "every few hours" rocked Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj overnight and cut power."
The phrase '10 days of Israeli and US attacks' is used to frame the situation, implying continuous unprovoked aggression, rather than describing a military conflict with actions and counter-actions. This serves to elicit sympathy and portray Iran as a victim of ongoing attacks.
"The Israeli military announced that it had begun a "broad wave of strikes against terror targets in Tehran"."
The term 'terror targets' is vague and can encompass a wide range of objectives without specific justification or details. It is used to legitimize military action by generically associating targets with terrorism, rather than providing concrete evidence or definitions of what constitutes a 'terror target' in this context.
"The military said on Tuesday morning that it had targeted an underground complex used by the Revolutionary Guards for weapons research, infrastructure within the main headquarters of the Quds Force, the Guards' overseas operations arm, and other weapons and defence production sites."
Describing the Quds Force as 'the Guards' overseas operations arm' is loaded. While technically true, without further context, it can subtly imply clandestine or illicit activities, reinforcing a negative image of the Quds Force and justifying the targeting of its infrastructure.
"Access to Iran for journalists is restricted and the BBC has not been able to independently verify figures and events from inside the country."
While acknowledging reporting limitations, this statement could be seen as minimizing the documented casualties by HRANA in the same article. By immediately casting doubt on independent verification, it slightly lessens the impact of the casualty figures presented earlier, even if it's a standard journalistic disclaimer. The juxtaposition gives it a slight minimizing effect.
"However, she said, "even if it takes a few weeks now, it's still better than spending a lifetime living with this system", reflecting the sentiment of those who want to see an end to the Islamic Republic."
The phrase 'reflecting the sentiment of those who want to see an end to the Islamic Republic' is loaded. It generalizes and frames the interviewed individual's sentiment as representative of a broader desire for regime change, implying widespread opposition to the current government's existence without presenting a balanced view of the Iranian populace's opinions.
"The man said he would "tolerate this situation as long as the regime is gone"."
Referring to the government as 'the regime' is a common journalistic and political labeling technique used to delegitimize a governing body, implying it lacks legitimacy or is oppressive. This serves to create a negative impression of the Iranian government.
"I have been harmed by the Islamic Republic, and because of it a war is now happening that is harming us again."
This quote oversimplifies the complex geopolitical causes of the conflict, attributing the current war solely to the actions or nature of 'the Islamic Republic' as the singular cause. It reduces a multi-faceted conflict involving actions from various state and non-state actors to a single, easily identifiable reason.