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…