‘You will reap the whirlwind’: Tehran mural warns of retaliation if US strikes Iran | Iran
Iranian officials unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in a square in central Tehran on Sunday that directly warns the United States against attempting a military attack on the country as U.S. warships advance toward the area.
The image shows a bird’s eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter jets on the flight deck. The deck is littered with bodies and covered in blood, stretching into the water behind the ship in a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the US flag. In one corner there is a slogan: “Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”
The unveiling of the mural in Enghelab Square took place as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships advanced towards the area. US President Donald Trump said the ships would be moved if he decided to take action.
“We have a huge fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said on Thursday.
Enghelab Square is used for meetings called by the state, and authorities change the mural according to national celebrations. On Saturday, the commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned that his forces were “more ready than ever before, with fingers on the trigger.”
Tensions between the United States and Iran have risen following a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested. Trump had threatened military action if Iran continued to kill peaceful protesters or mass execute those detained.
There have been no further protests for days, and Trump recently claimed that Tehran had halted the planned execution of nearly 800 arrested protesters; Iran’s attorney general called this claim “completely false.”
But Trump indicated on Thursday that he was keeping his options open, saying any military intervention would make the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June “like peanuts”.
The US military stated on social media that the F-15E Strike Eagle air force now has a presence in the Middle East, stating that the fighter jet “increases combat readiness and supports regional security and stability.”
Similarly, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that it had deployed Typhoon warplanes to Qatar for “defense purposes”.
The protests that started in Iran on December 28, when the Iranian currency, the rial, lost value and quickly spread throughout the country. The death toll reported by activists has continued to rise since the demonstrations ended, despite the most extensive internet blackout in Iran’s history lasting more than two weeks.
