More than 1,000 Iranians died in a surprise Israeli attack that targeted political, military and nuclear elites, including nuclear scientist Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, who was killed along with his wife and son. The attack has sparked what sociologists describe as a new 'everyday nationalism' across the country.
In Tehran, social changes are evident. About a third of women now go without the hijab, and a new punitive chastity law was rejected by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who argued it would cause an uprising. Police no longer enforce the dress code, and observers say the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 has not been in vain.
Cultural sociologist Nematollah Fazeli says the war has made love for Iran a central point of discourse. 'Before the war, we loved Iran, but it was not a very conscious feeling. After the war, it became a central point of our discourse,' he said. The sense of oppression by a world system has led to a desire to express common Iranian identity.
Fazeli notes that the Islamic Republic's ideology is not nationalist, and ancient Iranian culture is not represented in official education or media. 'The people's reaction to the war was a shock and a kind of negative cohesion. Despite their frustration with the government, the people stood up against foreign aggression; not to defend the Islamic Republic, but to defend Iran.'
This everyday nationalism is reflected in a return to epic poetry, popular history podcasts, and conversations about Iranian identity. Teacher Mohammad Faze says his students have put the Iranian flag on their social media profiles. Popular singers, including former regime critics, have declared love for Iran.
