A new and striking trend is emerging across Iran, highlighting both the ingenuity of ordinary citizens—and the growing fear among the regime’s enforcement arms.
Videos circulating show Iranian civilians deliberately playing the sound of drones through speakers and car audio systems to simulate incoming airstrikes. In one case, a man used a home sound system as Basij members passed below—triggering immediate panic as they fled the area. In another incident, a driver approaching a Basij roadblock blasted similar drone sounds from his car, causing the forces on site to scatter in fear.
The Basij, a paramilitary force tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has long been used by the regime to suppress protests and enforce control through intimidation and violence. For decades, they have been feared by civilians. Now, the roles appear—at least momentarily—to be reversing.
These incidents come amid continued Israeli airstrikes targeting IRGC and Basij infrastructure, which appear to be having not only physical effects—but also psychological ones. The mere sound associated with drone warfare is now enough to send regime forces running.
