Massive explosions in Tehran have triggered widespread panic among residents, with social media flooding with fears of war and viral warnings to avoid mosques due to alleged plots by clerics.
Late-night explosions in the Iranian capital have ignited widespread panic and frantic online speculation. Prominent expatriate opposition and citizen-journalism channel Vahid Online relayed early, highly-viewed reports of "severe explosions in western Tehran", which garnered over 100,000 views shortly after posting. Mainstream domestic aggregator خبرفوری ࡆ اخبارفوری مذاکره ࡆ جنگ فوری and its affiliated chat channel گروه خبر فوری both circulated footage depicting the "moments of tonight's explosion in Tehran".
Public Terror and Anti-War Sentiment Inside the public chat groups of the Khabar Fouri network, Iranian citizens expressed acute distress and fear of a broader regional conflict. Users posted desperately seeking contact with family members across the city, including one user in the eastern Resalat area who pleaded, "I have no news from my family, I am worried to God". The psychological toll of the escalating situation was starkly visible, with one terrified resident lamenting that "they want to turn Iran into Gaza".Frustration was also visibly directed at the country's leadership and elites. One furious user condemned officials insulated from the violence, writing: "Those who sit in safe places shouldn't talk nonsense, hope it hits them and their families so their state of mind is fixed.... we are dying of stress."
Anti-Cleric Rumors Flood Chat Channels Amidst the chaos, a coordinated anti-regime messaging campaign flooded the domestic chat channels. Dozens of identical, copy-pasted messages inundated the Khabar Fouri group, urging citizens to avoid religious sites. The viral message warned: "Friends, stay away from mosques, the mullahs have a plan". While the exact nature of the "plan" was not specified in the messages, the rapid proliferation of the warning highlights a deep-seated domestic mistrust of the clerical establishment during moments of national crisis.The source material includes a highly repetitive spam/bot-like campaign in the Khabar Fouri public chat urging people to stay away from mosques because 'the mullahs have a plan.' This was repeated at least 11 times in rapid succession. The messages provide a raw, unfiltered look at civilian panic, showcasing profound anxiety about the prospect of suffering the same fate as Gaza, as well as distinct class/political anger directed at leadership who are perceived as safe from the blasts.