The Iranian flag held by men in the southern suburbs of Beirut, on October 20, 2023. (Cedit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
In a pet shop in Haret Hreik, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Emne* and Sarah* dismiss Iran's losses with a wave of the hand. “Israel will be humiliated, it will beg Iran to stop the war,” they say. Since Friday, the Israeli army has targeted nuclear sites, assassinated scientists, decapitated the military high command and killed at least 224 people. But for the two young women, the verdict in the early days of conflict is clear: Israel has suffered a “backlash.” More than the human toll — which, on the Israeli side, stands at a reported 16 dead and 380 wounded — it is the unprecedented footage of Iranian missiles repeatedly breaching the Iron Dome defense system that leaves such an impression. “Israel will suffer like us,” Sarah said, referring to the deluge of fire that Beirut's southern suburbs suffered for two months last fall. More...
In a pet shop in Haret Hreik, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Emne* and Sarah* dismiss Iran's losses with a wave of the hand. “Israel will be humiliated, it will beg Iran to stop the war,” they say. Since Friday, the Israeli army has targeted nuclear sites, assassinated scientists, decapitated the military high command and killed at least 224 people. But for the two young women, the verdict in the early days of conflict is clear: Israel has suffered a “backlash.” More than the human toll — which, on the Israeli side, stands at a reported 16 dead and 380 wounded — it is the unprecedented footage of Iranian missiles repeatedly breaching the Iron Dome defense system that leaves such an impression. “Israel will suffer like us,” Sarah said, referring to the deluge of fire that Beirut's southern suburbs suffered for two months...