Amid stalled peace talks and ongoing tit-for-tat threats, Iranians are reportedly arming themselves in preparation a potential US ground invasion, or renewal of major military action in its skies.
CNN cameras captured individual citizens being given gun component lessons in the middle of streets and in busy bazaars. Also state TV has been featuring detailed tutorials and presentations on how to effectively use the AK-47.
"I am so ready to sacrifice my life for my country and for my people," one young woman named Tiana told a CNN correspondent this week during a pro-government rally.
"All the people, the whole army, all commanders that we have, they're ready to sacrifice their lives too, and ready to fight with their whole heart and soul," she added.
Another, identified as Fatima - who actually grew up in London and Dubai - stated that "We know this war isn’t over. We know Trump is not really going to negotiate." She added of the US leader, "He’s just going to be, like, 'You do what I tell you or I’m going to kill you.' And then he’s going to attack us even if we do as he says."
An elderly man further chimed in, "Trump knows we don’t have a bomb, but he is attacking us anyway," he said to the CNN crew.
While not often covered by Western mainstream press, there have been pro-government demonstrations stretching all the way back to January, even when massive anti-government and largely economically-driven protests and clashes with police were at their peak:
The rallies, or "night-gatherings" have been taking place across the country every evening for nearly three months, essentially since the start of the war.
CNN filmed the following:
Meanwhile, Iranian state media is no doubt trying to signal the US and Israel that if a ground invasion ensues, a lasting insurgency would be unleashed - just as it did for years during the American-led occupation of neighboring Iraq.
On the eastern side of the border, in Afghanistan, it was a similar story, where the Taliban is actually now back in control after a two-decade long nation-building effort.
Below: Iran's State TV Is Teaching Civilians How to Shoot Iran's national television aired a segment showing an anchor being taught how to handle a firearm, with live instruction for a general audience. The lesson ended with the anchor raising the weapon and FIRING DIRECTLY at a UAE flag on set.
The card which Iran has to play is asymmetric and guerrilla warfare. It may have at this point lost most or all of its navy and air force, and much of its anti-air arsenal, but it remains formidable in terms of an ability to still inflict damage on US forces - enough to be politically or economically very costly for Washington.
This would remain true even if the US were to renew major operations. As one pundit has pointed out: "Endurance regimes do not need clean victory to change the game. They only need to survive the shock while making the old equilibrium too costly for their adversaries to restore." So 'winning' for Iran looks much different, compared to US objectives.