Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that more than 14 million citizens have volunteered to “sacrifice their lives in defence of the country,” as tensions escalate alongside a wave of reported airstrikes.

President Pezeshkian announced the figure in a post on X.
“Over 14 million proud Iranians have, up to this moment, declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defence of Iran. I too have been, am, and will be a sacrificer for Iran,” he wrote.

Iranian state television repeated the claim, saying millions would be ready to fight in the event of a US or Israeli ground invasion.

Iran’s population is about 90 million.

The figure marks a sharp increase from an April 2 statement by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who put the number at around 7 million.
“You come for our home… you’re gonna meet the whole family. Locked, loaded, and standing tall. Bring it on,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Meanwhile, at least 18 people, including two children, were killed in a major airstrike in Iran’s Alborz province on Tuesday, with 24 others injured, according to Iranian media.

Iran’s state news agency Fars said residential areas were hit in the attack near Tehran.

Reports also indicated heavy bombardment in the capital, Tehran, weapons depots in mountainous regions, and Khorramabad airport in western Iran.

The Israeli military said it had struck a petrochemical plant in the southern city of Shiraz, alleging the facility was producing materials for ballistic missiles and explosives.

Israel has also threatened to target Iran’s railway network, which it claims is being used to transport weapons.

In a message posted in Persian on X, the Israeli military warned Iranian civilians to avoid train travel.

Iran’s Red Crescent condemned the strikes as a war crime, saying 17 civilian areas were targeted in what it called a clear violation of international law.

The statement added that the attacks may be aimed at turning public sentiment against the government, though analysts say such strikes could instead rally domestic support around the leadership.