By Kayhan Life Staff
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s “Qods Day” rally in Tehran — organized by the government on March 13 and attended by the country’s highest-ranking officials — was severely disrupted as Israeli drones struck checkpoints, security forces, and police stations, and targeted sites along the rally route and other locations in and around Tehran.
Officials present at the event included Ali Larijani (Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council), Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei (Head of the Judiciary), Ahmadreza Radan (Chief Commander of the Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran), and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. They were accompanied by an extensive security detail.
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According to reports, the Israeli strikes were executed using advanced artificial intelligence technologies, supported by a sophisticated database. Some sources said that in addition to monitoring rally points, the operation also involved tracking mobile phone signals.
Videos shared by sources in the field indicated that the targeted locations were situated along the route taken by regime supporters during the “Qods Day” rally. In some of the footage, the explosions are clearly visible.
The video shows a large crowd in Tehran waving the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and chanting slogans such as “Death to Israel,” “Death to Munafiq (hypocrite),” and “Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest),” with an explosion visible in the background.
Reports indicate that the attacks caused both deaths and injuries, primarily among members of the Basij militia and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The specific numbers of fatalities and injuries, as well as precise details about those affected, have not yet been verified, and the total number of casualties remains unconfirmed.
In addition to the strikes on checkpoints, police stations in northern Tehran, Karaj (42 miles northwest of Tehran), Bojnurd (in northeastern Iran), Shahr-e-Rey (greater Tehran), and several other cities were also bombed.
A post on X by Kayhan Life said that drones targeted several checkpoints, resulting in the deaths of several members of the security forces, and included three photographs showing individuals bending over what appeared to be dead or injured people.
Following the drone strikes on checkpoints, an audio recording surfaced in which a field commander advised his forces to take precautions against being targeted by drones.
He instructed them to avoid detection at gathering sites such as schools and mosques, advising them to “turn off their mobile phones to prevent signals from being tracked.”
In response, the Israeli military issued a statement accusing the Iranian government of deliberately withholding warnings about Israeli attacks from the public and using civilians as “human shields” to further its own agenda.
The statement, released on March 13, read: “The leaders of the terrorist and bloodthirsty regime have been indifferent to the lives of Iranian citizens for 47 years, endangering people for the ‘freedom of Jerusalem’ and turning them into human shields to advance their own goals.”
