‘I wouldn’t mind breaking hearts for once’ – how can NZ beat India?

Matthew Henry

BBC Sport journalist in Ahmedabad
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New Zealand do not make natural heartbreakers.

They are cricket’s nice guys – your second-favourite team.

Brendon McCullum’s men thrilled in 2015. You still feel guilty for Kane Williamson’s side after that deflection off Ben Stokes’ bat four years later at Lord’s.

Sunday’s T20 World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad will be the Black Caps’ fifth white-ball final in the past 11 years.

They lost the meeting with India at the Champions Trophy a year ago and their three World Cup finals before that, always the charming best man rather than the groom.

“I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts and lifting a trophy for once,” said captain Mitchell Santner with a smile at his press conference.

And there will be plenty of hearts to break. A crowd of around 100,000 is expected at the Narendra Modi stadium, plus more than a billion watching at home, with almost all supporting the tournament co-hosts and defending champions.

“We are pretty consistent in these tournaments because we try not to get overawed by the situation or opponents,” Santner said.

“We just go there and do our thing and as a unit it’s been no different this time.”

Follow Australia’s lead

Santner’s men do not have to look far for inspiration.

The venue for this final is the same as the showpiece of the 2023 50-over World Cup, when Australia stunned previously unbeaten India to take the title.

Under the weight of expectation, India were tentative with the bat and dismissed for 240 before Travis Head’s century powered Australia to a rapid victory.

“There’s obviously a lot of pressure on India to win this World Cup at home,” Santner said.

“We can go out there and try and put that added pressure on them and see what happens.”

Against Australia, India reached 76-1 inside 10 overs but only 72 runs came between the start of the 11th and the end of the 30th.

The change in format should prevent India being cautious again but New Zealand, who have reached this final despite losing to South Africa and England previously in the competition, must pounce on any sign.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav said he did not feel the need to discuss the 2023 defeat with the team.

“We have been preparing for this stage really well,” he said. “It started two years back and the circle has come to the same stadium in that we left in 2023.

Take early wickets

New Zealand are well aware of the strength of India’s batting order. They lost 4-1 in a T20 series before this World Cup, with their hosts scoring more than 200 in three of the five matches. India chased 154 in 10 overs in one of the others.

The semi-final against England on Thursday showed the importance of taking wickets if you are to have any hope of limiting India’s run-scoring.

England took one in the powerplay but dropping Samju Samson meant the co-hosts piled up 253-7.

“The only way to slow any team down is wickets at the top and then try to squeeze a few overs in the middle,” Santner said.

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The average first-innings score at Ahmedabad in this World Cup has been 189, including South Africa’s 187-7 here against India in the co-hosts’ only defeat so far.

The final will be played on a ‘mixed soil’ surface – some red and some black soil – and is expected to be good for batting again.

But taking early wickets has not necessarily been one of New Zealand’s strengths in this tournament.

They have taken 10 wickets in the powerplay – five fewer than India. Their bowling strike-rate in that phase only ranks as the 13th-best across the competition.

Helpfully, Samson has scored 56 runs in seven T20 innings against New Zealand.

Use their off-spinners

Another way New Zealand can attack India is with the off-spin of Cole McConchie and all-rounder Glenn Phillips.

India have struggled against off-spin this competition, averaging just 15.9 and scoring at 7.2 runs per over – their worst record against any bowling type.

They have five left-handers in the top eight, including world number one batter Abhishek Sharma, who has been dismissed by an off-spinner in three of the four innings in which he has faced such bowling so far.

McConchie would not have played at this World Cup but for an injured to Michael Bracewell. He has a strength and conditioning business and previously ran a commercial cleaning business with his father.

But the 34-year-old from Christchurch has bowled eight powerplay balls to left-handers at the World Cup, dismissing South Africa duo Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton while conceding only 13 runs.

Bank on the Bash Brothers

Conversely, New Zealand must bank on their fearsome opening partnership.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, nicknamed the Bash Brothers, have scored 463 runs together in seven innings at this tournament, averaging 77.2, with two century stands.

One of those came in the semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata on Wednesday when Allen scored a 33-ball 100 not out.

Though Seifert played in four of the five matches, Allen only played once in the series against India earlier this year.

He was absent at the Big Bash in Australia, where he helped Perth Scorchers win the title.

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Target Chakravarthy

Targeting the number one T20 bowler in the world rankings may seem foolish but it might be New Zealand’s best chance.

After a solid start to the tournament, India spinner Varun Chakravarthy is struggling.

Since the start of the Super 8s, he has managed only four wickets in four matches at a frightening economy of 11.6 runs per over. In the group stage he took nine wickets, with his economy 5.2.

Suryakumar backed his spinner at his press conference, suggesting there will be no late change from India.

The problems are perhaps explained by Chakravarthy’s change in length.

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    • 16 August 2025
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Israel kills father, daughter in Gaza as genocide continues amid wider war

A father and his daughter have been killed in an Israeli drone attack in central Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as Palestinians continue to suffer amid worldwide attention on the United States-Israeli war on Iran.

The two were killed early on Saturday. In a separate attack later in the day in Khan Younis, another person was killed and a young girl wounded, according to Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground.

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Israeli forces continue carrying out air strikes, artillery shelling, and naval bombardment on Gaza on a daily basis, despite an October 11 “ceasefire” as Israel continues its ongoing genocide.

Suffering in Gaza and the occupied West Bank remains acute as the world focuses on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran.

In the past 48 hours, two additional people have been wounded, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Israeli army-affiliated militias, meanwhile, have advanced east of Gaza City, with heavy gunfire reported in the area. Initial reports also stated a member of the Palestinian police was abducted.

Israeli warplanes also struck several locations east of the Tuffah neighbourhood, near Gaza City, while the Israeli navy fired heavy machineguns and shells towards the coast of Gaza City, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

The Rafah border crossing, meanwhile, remains closed. Israel had shut it amid its attacks on Iran.

The Rafah crossing, located on Gaza’s southern border, had reopened only last month allowing a limited number of Palestinians to leave for the first time in months, including patients in urgent need of medical care. Thousands remain blocked from travelling for treatment.

The Karem Abu Salem crossing, also known to Israelis as Kerem Shalom, is partially open for the entry of humanitarian aid only, under strict restrictions.

Nearly all of Gaza’s population of more than two million people was displaced during Israel’s war on the territory, and the enclave remains heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance.

In a February report, Human Rights Watch said Israeli restrictions had contributed to shortages of medicine, reconstruction materials, food and water inside the Strip.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza, 640 Palestinians have been killed and at least 1,700 wounded, according to the Health Ministry. At least 72,123 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, while 171,805 people have been injured.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported its teams in Hebron are treating a Palestinian injured by live fire near the illegal Karmei Tzur settlement, built on Palestinian land north of Hebron.

Three Palestinians were also injured on Saturday after being physically assaulted by Israeli settlers in the Ras al-Ahmar area, south of Tubas, Wafa reported. Medical sources at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said their teams responded to three people with injuries.

Israeli forces also conducted raids in the towns of Qaffin and Kafr al-Labad, north of Tulkarem, early on Saturday, Wafa said.

A Palestinian man was also injured after being assaulted by Israeli soldiers near the village of Azmut, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

Palestinians have faced a wave of intensified Israeli military and settler violence across the West Bank since the war on Gaza began in October 2023.

Sutherland shines as Australia dominate India

Jack Skelton

BBC Sport senior journalist

Only Test, Waca, Perth (day two of four)

India 198 (Rodrigues 52; Sutherland 4-46) & 105-6: Rawal 43*; Hamilton 3-32

Australia 329: Sutherland 129, Perry 76; Satghare 4-50

India trail by 20 runs

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland hit an Australian record fourth Test century as the hosts closed in on victory over India after dominating day two in Perth.

Sutherland struck 129 to help her side post 323 and take a first-innings lead of 125 in the day-night match at the Waca.

India slumped to 105-6 in response, trailing by 20, and Australia will look to wrap up a commanding victory on day three.

Sutherland’s hundred was her third in as many innings, making her the first woman to achieve this feat in Tests.

    • 1 day ago

Ellyse Perry scored 76 to become the leading runscorer for Australia in women’s Tests, going past Karen Rolton’s mark of 1,002. Perry now has 1,006 runs.

Australia resumed on 96-3, trailing by 102, with Sutherland and Perry’s stand of 133 putting the hosts into a strong position before the latter was dismissed lbw by Deepti Sharma.

Wicketkeeper Beth Mooney ground out 19 off 53 balls to help Australia move into the lead and provide support to Sutherland, who played superbly on an increasingly challenging surface.

She was unbeaten on 93 at tea and quickly moved to her landmark century before holing out off Deepti.

Alana King and Lucy Hamilton put on 34 together to give Australia a significant lead and a weary India then wilted under the lights in the final session.

The visitors slipped to 10-2 before Sutherland claimed the key wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur to leave India 64-4.

Left-arm fast bowler Hamilton, on her Test debut, removed Deepti and Richa Ghosh in the space of three balls to have India reeling on 82-6 and in danger of losing the match inside two days.

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    • 16 August 2025
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Trump Threatens To Escalate Bombing As Iran Vows No Surrender

President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the bombing of Iran on Saturday as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that he would never surrender, despite a fresh blitz of US and Israeli air strikes that set a Tehran airport ablaze.

Israel confirmed some of the biggest raids since the aerial bombardment of Iran began last Saturday, with a military academy, an underground command centre and a missile storage facility named as targets.

Pre-dawn AFP photos showed fire and smoke billowing from Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, one of two that serve the capital.

“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform.

“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”

Iranian President Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone in a speech broadcast on state TV in which he appeared to address Trump’s demand on Friday for “unconditional surrender”.

Iran’s enemies “must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their graves,” Pezeshkian replied.

Iran also hit back on Saturday, demonstrating that it retains the ability to launch missiles and drones despite the relentless targeting of its military infrastructure over the last seven days.

There were air raid alerts and explosions heard above Jerusalem as well as Gulf cities Dubai, Manama and near Riyadh — where Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired at an air base housing US military personnel.

The UAE said it had intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones on Saturday, but video footage showed one projectile crashing into Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic in usual circumstances.

An explosion took place next to an airport building and parked planes close to a passing train, mobile phone footage authenticated by AFP showed.

Jordan also accused Iran of “targeting vital installations” inside the country with 119 missiles and drones over the last week, according to military spokesman Mustafa Hayari.

Pezeshkian issued an apology to his Gulf neighbours, which host major US military bases, saying that they would only be targeted if their territories were used as launch sites for attacks.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they had fired at the oil tanker Prima in the Gulf as it attempted to cross the narrow Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global shipping that Iran has effectively closed.

Human cost

Now entering its second week, the war was sparked by joint Israeli and US airstrikes last Saturday that killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has since widened to war-battered Lebanon, as well as Cyprus in the EU, Turkey and Azerbaijan — and reached as far as waters off Sri Lanka where US forces sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo.

Inside Iran, damage to infrastructure and residential buildings is mounting, while residents of the capital report growing anxiety and a heavy presence of security forces on the streets.

“I don’t think anyone who hasn’t experienced war would understand it,” a terrified 26-year-old teacher told AFP on condition of anonymity. “When you hear the bombs, you have no idea where they will hit.”

The Iranian health ministry put the civilian death toll at 926 on Friday, with around 6,000 injured — numbers that AFP could not independently verify.

Israel has also intensified its air strikes on Lebanon, repeatedly bombing and ordering the evacuation of Beirut’s densely populated southern suburbs, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah holds sway.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that his country would pay a “very heavy price” if it failed to disarm Hezbollah.

Israeli commandos also launched an unsuccessful mission overnight to try to retrieve the remains of a navigator lost in 1986.

Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 217 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes over the last week, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has warned a “humanitarian disaster is looming”.

The consequences of the conflict reach far beyond those in the immediate firing line, however.

Global stock markets have slumped, while crude oil prices have surged, with analysts warning that there appears to be no clear path to ending a conflict that US and Israeli officials have suggested could last a month or more.

Trump, who has given varying reasons for starting the war, has spurned fresh talks with Tehran, and said on Truth Social on Friday that “there will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER”.

Defiance

Trump has also promised to help rebuild the country’s economy if Tehran installs someone “acceptable” to him to replace Iran’s late supreme leader.

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States would have no role in selecting Khamenei’s successor.

“The selection of Iran’s leadership will take place strictly in accordance with our constitutional procedures and solely by the will of the Iranian people, without any foreign interference,” he added.

Though Iranian retaliation has been inflicted widely across the Middle East, US rivals China and Russia have stayed largely out of the fray despite their ties to the Islamic Republic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for an “immediate” ceasefire during a phone call with Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, the Kremlin said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States is “not concerned” about reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on US troop positions and movements.

India vs New Zealand: Fans hope for World Cup final redemption in Ahmedabad

Mumbai, India – For millions of Indians, the ghosts of a home Cricket World Cup defeat to Australia still haunt their memories two years on from the final in Ahmedabad.

It’s a wound that still stings the cricket-mad nation of at least 1.4 billion people, tens of thousands of whom thronged the world’s largest cricket stadium on 19 November 2023, and millions of others who followed the game elsewhere.

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But just as the heartbreak of the “cursed day” brought them together two years ago, local fans hope that this Sunday will give them a reason to celebrate as India face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final at the same venue.

A stunned crowd of more than 90,000 watched in silence as Australia crushed India with a six-wicket victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium, turning the undefeated home side’s crowning moment into a day where thousands of seats had emptied before the final ball was bowled.

The sombre atmosphere was akin to a prophecy come true as, on the eve of the 2023 final, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins famously said: “In sport, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent.”

“The 2023 final defeat is still on our minds,” Sounak Biswas, a 29-year-old fan from Mumbai, told Al Jazeera. “Social media posts calling the Ahmedabad stadium a bad omen keep reinforcing that thought.

“On Sunday, I hope I can forget those bad memories and create happier ones.”

Fireworks explode at the end of the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) final match between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The last time Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium hosted a World Cup final, India ended on the losing side [File: AFP]

Cautious optimism

The collective mood of the country – from fans to experts and the media – is optimistic.

Oddsmakers have given India a 70 percent chance of defeating New Zealand to become the first host nation to retain its title, local media have thrown their weight behind Suryakumar Yadav’s team to cross the final hurdle and cricket chatter has taken centre stage at workplaces, homes and outdoor gatherings.

Come Sunday, fans will throng pubs, roadside cafes and restaurants from Mumbai to Kolkata and Chennai to Chandigarh to catch the action on large screens or their smartphones. While those without internet access will gather outside electronics stores, a pane of glass separating them from the live broadcast playing on the high-end televisions inside.

Then there are those fans who will undertake journeys from all corners of the country to Ahmedabad in order to watch the action from up close and soak in the atmosphere of a World Cup final.

Mumbai-based fan Biswas and his friend Piyush Nathani will join another 30 or so members of the “North Stand Gang” – a hardcore fan group from the Wankhede Stadium – as they carry their support to the neighbouring state.

For Nathani, Sunday’s final will cap an exhilarating journey of watching the monthlong tournament across stadiums in India and Sri Lanka.

Through the ups and downs of Team India’s campaign, he has held on to one small ritual and he won’t change it for the big match.

“I wear the same jersey and pair of trousers for every game,” the 29-year-old said.

Indians watch the live telecast of ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final match between Australia and India on a television displayed at a TV store in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Indians watch the live telecast of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final match between Australia and India on a television displayed at a TV store in Guwahati, India [File: Anupam Nath/AP]

Squad depth to India’s rescue

India’s route to the final included its fair share of hiccups: the co-hosts didn’t look their strongest against minnows USA in their opening game, fell to South Africa in the next stage and were pushed to the brink by England in the semifinals.

But in their pursuit of victory, a different player stepped up as the team began to falter.

From the ever-reliable pace-bowling star Jasprit Bumrah and versatile all-rounder Hardik Pandya to young wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and the stunning Sanju Samson, who made a sparkling return to the playing XI, India never fell short of match-winners.

“The Indian team is by far the best in the tournament because of the quality in the squad,” Indian cricketer and TV analyst Aditya Tare told Al Jazeera ahead of the final.

“There were moments when the team was under pressure, but they showed character, picked themselves up from tough situations and finished games off.

“The biggest example of the squad’s depth is Sanju Samson. He didn’t get a spot in the playing XI for a few games, but the moment he got in, he picked up two player of the match awards. That goes to show that India isn’t reliant on just one or two players [to win matches].”

India's Sanju Samson looks to the heavens after India won the T20 World Cup cricket match against West Indies in Kolkata, India, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
India’s batter Sanju Samson heads into the final on the back of two consecutive man of the match performances [File: Bikas Das/AP]

‘Pressure is privilege’

Suryakumar’s team will undoubtedly carry the hopes of more than 1.4 billion people at home and millions of Indian diaspora watching elsewhere in the world, with Sunday’s result shaping the mood of the nation the next morning – whether Indians wake up brimming with joy or grappling with another heartbreak.

For some fans, however, that pressure is not a burden but a sign of how deeply the team is loved.

“I think pressure is a privilege,” Aritra Mustafi, a fan from Bengaluru, said of the expectations the team carries. “If 90,000 fans turn up again, and it puts the team under pressure, it’s a privilege [for the players] that so many are supporting them.”

India line up for the national anthems ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium
After a monthlong tournament, the final hurdle awaits a gritty India side [Prakash Singh/Getty Images]

The venue has been a major part of the discourse in the run-up to the final. The decision to stage another World Cup final at the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium instead of the traditional homes of Indian cricket – Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium or Kolkata’s Eden Gardens – has prompted debate among fans online.

Those who have attended matches there believe the vast stadium gives more supporters a chance to witness India playing for another world title.

“From a fan atmosphere perspective, Gujarat might not be the best place, but stadium-wise it’s pretty good because of the crowd management,” said Mustafi, who attended two matches in Ahmedabad during the 50-over World Cup in 2023. “There are concerns about how such a huge crowd will enter and exit, but during my last visit, I did not face any issues.”

Watching your team lift a trophy on the grandest stage is a dream for many fans, and Hyderabad-based Praketh Reddy is no different.

“I want to experience how it feels to watch India win the World Cup,” he said. “Singing our national song — Vande Mataram — with a 100,000-strong crowd will be incredible. If we win, the post-match celebrations will go on late … I don’t think I’ll make it back to my hotel until about 3am!”

For Biswas, the final also carries a personal significance: it falls a day after his birthday, and a victory would be the sweetest present.

“When the captain of our country lifts the trophy, it will be a dream come true,” he said.

Mumbai's 'North Stand Gang' will be in Ahmedabad doing what they do best: cheer for the team on the top of their voices [Photo courtesy of Sounak Biswas]
Mumbai’s ‘North Stand Gang’ will be in Ahmedabad doing what they do best: cheer for the team at the top of their voices [Courtesy of Sounak Biswas]

Iranian authorities warn against ‘fifth column’, as no signs of war abating

Tehran, Iran – Authorities have issued a series of warnings promising use of force against anyone in the country engaging in actions perceived to harm national security and aid “enemies”, as war with the United States and Israel enters its second week.

The Ministry of Intelligence told Iranians in a statement carried by state media on Saturday that a number of “American-Zionist mercenaries” have been photographing missile impact points to send the footage to “terrorist satellite networks” and online pages based outside Iran.

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These “soldiers of Israel” were “acting as the fifth column of the Zionist regime and its eyes inside the country”, it said, adding that they will be severely punished in accordance with a law amended to dole out heavy sentences in the aftermath of the 12-day war with US-Israel in June 2025.

The ministry also renewed its call on people to report any suspicious activity through phone calls and local messaging services, as the global internet remains disconnected more than a week after the opening salvo of the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top commanders in downtown Tehran.

The internet blackout has restricted Iranians’ news sources to state media, which do not cover many developments, including forced evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, instead mostly focusing on successful Iranian strikes.

Many people are therefore following the news through a handful of foreign-based Persian-language channels that are widely available via satellite connections at home.

Authorities have been sending jamming signals to restrict the channels since shortly before the start of the war, because they consider some to be “terrorist” outlets funded by opponents to advocate for regime change in Iran.

In mass text messages sent on Saturday addressed to the “resistant people of Islamic Iran”, the police force, whose stations and headquarters have been bombed by Israel and the US across the country, also said footage of strikes is being sent to “masters” abroad and must be stopped.

Two military commanders suggested that the armed forces of the establishment have been given a greenlight to fire live bullets at any offenders to ensure state security.

Police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan told state television that his forces have been told to shoot down any “thieves” who may potentially pose a threat during war conditions, where many people have left their homes in Tehran and other big cities – as encouraged by officials – to seek safety in other cities.

Salar Velayatmadar, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who now acts as a member of parliament representing Qazvin, located west of Tehran, issued the most explicit warning yet on state television.

“Parents, if your son and daughter don’t listen to us, it’s not our fault,” he said during a live programme on Thursday night. “Anybody inside Iranian soil who lets a sound out of their throat that aligns with the enemy, their feet are in Tel Aviv and their head is with Netanyahu, so the order to shoot them has been issued.

“We do not want your children to be killed because your child is ignorant and foolish,” said the lawmaker, dressed in IRGC attire.

This comes after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed Iranian citizens to remain vigilant in their homes and wait for a time when they can be told to take to the streets and overthrow the theocratic establishment that has been in power since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

They have also demanded that the armed forces of the IRGC, army and police lay down their weapons or die, a notion that has been firmly rejected by the military and political authorities of Iran as they fire projectiles across the region.

Iranian authorities have, in turn, called on the supporters of the establishment to remain in the streets and congregate in mosques at all hours of the day, despite the war, to mourn Khamenei, show support for the system and retain control of the situation on the ground.

State media at times broadcast such gatherings live, showing images of pro-state demonstrators chanting slogans against the policies of the US and Israeli governments and religious chants while waving flags or participating in motorcycle and vehicle parades.

The paramilitary Basij forces of the IRGC continue to patrol the streets of Tehran and cities across the country at all hours of the day. They have also set up numerous heavily armed checkpoints, especially around bombed bases.

Thousands of Iranians were killed during nationwide protests earlier this year, mostly on the nights of January 8 and 9. The government blames “terrorists” and “rioters” armed and trained by the US and Israel, but the United Nations and human rights organisations said the state was responsible for a lethal crackdown against peaceful protesters.

Messaging from the warring parties on Saturday continued to indicate that attacks will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.