SAEDNEWS: Images of an Israeli flight technician scrawling “Mahsa Amini” on bombs bound for strikes against Iran have sparked fierce condemnation in Tehran, with many Iranians accusing Israel of exploiting the memory of Amini to justify violence and propaganda against their country.
Israel appeared to hope for a surge of public support by circulating photographs of a female Israeli flight technician writing “Mahsa Amini” on munitions slated for aerial attacks against Iran. Instead, the move provoked widespread condemnation, with many Iranians accusing Tel Aviv of cynically weaponizing the name of the woman whose death in 2022 ignited nationwide protests.
A post on X, attributed to an affiliate of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)—a Washington-based pro-Israel lobby—shared the images of the technician dedicating the bombs to Amini. The FDD has long lobbied for aggressive action against Iran and maintains close ties to Israeli policymakers.
The photos quickly went viral among Iranians, who denounced what they saw as a grotesque exploitation of grief. “You write Mahsa Amini’s name on bombs that you used to kill us and expect our gratitude?” wrote one Tehran-based X user. “Your audacity is sickening.”
Between June 13 and June 24, Israel launched an unprecedented 12‑day air campaign against Iran, striking nuclear, military, and civilian infrastructure. Iranian officials report at least 1,060 fatalities, most of them women, children, and other non-combatants.
Analysts suggest Israel and its U.S. backer believed that invoking Amini—a symbol of resistance to state repression—might turn Iranians against their own government. Yet post-war polling from both Iranian and Western sources indicates Tehran’s leadership actually saw a boost in popularity amid the conflict, as citizens rallied in solidarity.
“We didn’t fall for your deception then, and we won’t now,” wrote a man from Isfahan on X. “Stop exploiting Mahsa for your dark agenda.”
Mahsa Amini, aged 22, died in September 2022 after being detained by Tehran’s morality police. Although no violence was visible in the station footage, and medical records cite a pre-existing brain condition, her death sparked mass protests that left more than 300 people dead and solidified Amini as an international icon of Iran’s women’s rights movement.
At the time, the Iranian government blamed Israel and the United States for instigating and fueling the unrest—a claim that has regained traction following the recent war and Israel’s jarring use of Amini’s name in its propaganda.
“These images are the final proof,” said Mahsa, a 27‑year‑old teacher in Esfahan. “Israel is behind the violence in our country. Now it’s undeniable.”
