The War Was Never Over; the South Has Been the Target
"Ceasefire" is by far one of the most meaningless words in the dictionary of the Middle East. Since the alleged ceasefire between Iran and the USA/Israel, the war has not really stopped. While the capital and bigger cities such as Tabriz and Isfahan have not been a target, as they were all bombed during both the 12-day war and the conflict this year, towns in the southern parts of Iran have been regularly under fire from the US army. I never had the chance to visit southern provinces, but based on the experience of my parents and the many narratives regarding life there since the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s, many villages and cities lack basic amenities, and the state itself has barely endeavored to invest in the transformation of the area to something close to the countries on the opposite side of the Persian Gulf. We also cannot deny the grand impact of sanctions, which have continuously played an important role in causing massive financial burdens on Iran, and considering the rapid increase in sanctions since Trump's first term in office and his withdrawal from the JCPOA, it is perfectly transparent how the southern provinces of Iran have not undergone the economic boom that one might expect given their potential.
Since the restart of the war in February, cities such as Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Minab, and other towns in the south and close to the Strait of Hormuz have been heavily attacked by the US and Israel. While the media in the US tries to portray the marks as only military bases, the truth is that most of these targets were civilian infrastructure, and in one case, an elementary school that was "mistakenly" struck due to an old map used by the US army. Apart from how crazy it is that the so-called "most advanced" army in the world is still operating on "old maps" in 2026, any of the actions that the US has done since the beginning of this conflict could be regarded as a "war crime" and enough to label Trump's administration as a terrorist state. These are the labels that the West has been using for many years to put sanctions on "Iranians," making life harder for normal civilians who might not even support the Islamic Regime, but are suffering just for being from Iran and living in Iran, a struggle that never truly concerned those in the higher echelons of the power hierarchy. While I do not want to turn this loose note into an anti-Western essay, something that many people have done better than me, it is just exhausting to witness both the US and Israel do literally the exact genocidal acts that they accuse any other nation of, only to get away with little to no consequences, not even "symbolic" boycotts such as getting banned from sport competitions, or not organizing a certain festival.
The South is still under fire. Many ports have been obliterated, and electricity and water outages are getting more threatening. Summer in those regions is no different from stepping into hell, and without two essential necessities that make this season a bit more tolerable for inhabitants, life for them is more challenging than at any other time. The Southern people, or as we call them the "Jonobi," are caught in the middle of the crossfire of a foolish regime that does not know when to utilize a win for the profit of its people, and a genocidal state that sits comfortably on the other side of the globe and behaves like the police of the world, causing more issues everywhere and at any time. In the end, I cannot hope for anything but more strength and victory for my people, those who are much stronger than anyone I have met and deserve nothing but a wonderful life in total relief, far from all these maniacs.