War between Israel and Iran is off (for now) – but Iranians are still suffering

Following a series of retaliatory attacks, the risk of a wider conflict between Israel and Iran has dissipated, writes Camelia Entekhabifard. But the key to long-term peace is regime change in Iran – and Iranian people need the West on their side

A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of the young Iranian woman who died after being arrested in Tehran (AFP/Getty)

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel started their conflict, three stressful weeks have passed. Just last Friday, Isfahan – the city Iranians call “Half of the World” and which represents the soul of Iranian art – awakened to the sound of explosions.

Israeli drones were launched at the city in response to the surprising attack by the Islamic Republic, which fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel. This was, in turn, retaliation for airstrikes on the Islamic Republic’s consular building in Damascus.

According to intelligence sources, the Israeli fighters’ attack on the consulate in Damascus killed seven commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). During the weeks that followed, the Islamic Republic promised a “harsh revenge.”