Dominique Joseph Cardinal Mathieu of Tehran-Ispahan, via AsiaNews
With no shelter and no sirens, the noise of the “very active” air defence at night becomes reassuring at a time when the conflict “is taking place through the air and by remote control, said Dominique Joseph Cardinal Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins, in a reflection where he recounts the first week of the war launched by Israel against Iran. He writes that this is a phase in which there is a high risk of “the release of radiation and toxic gases” that would end up affecting the civilian population, while calling for prayer and a return to the negotiating table
On the sixth day of the war [June 18], the Internet connection has just been restored after an interruption last night. The sun is shining and the birds are singing, with temperatures hovering around 38 degrees Celsius. In the 11th district of Tehran, where I am staying, the air defence is mostly very active at night. It may seem strange, but it is reassuring. This is because there are no shelters and no sirens. So we head in the direction of the sound. And in no time at all, you learn to distinguish between them.
The most interesting thing about this phase of the war is that the armies are not physically in contact with each other because there is no common border. Everything happens through the airspace and is remote-controlled. Both sides are violating the airspace of other nations. Aircraft and drones on one side, rockets and drones on the other. In reality, there is no immediate contact with the target. At this stage, it is an asymmetrical war.
As a citizen, you are confronted with collateral victims: displaced persons, wounded and dead. The main source of general information is social media, which plays an important role, sometimes even for military purposes. In both countries, there are many civilian casualties, both intentional and unintentional; for example, when a drone is shot down or a missile is intercepted and crashes. It hits, and as a result, you are not safe anywhere.
For the time being, some embassies are waiting until the end of the week before planning evacuation. Others have sent their nationals by road to neighbouring countries for repatriation. The local community has partially remained in the affected areas and many have dispersed to safer areas of the country. As far as the media allows, we are in contact.
A consensual agreement would be better, because we are now at risk of radiation and toxic gas release. I am not taking sides with any of the parties involved, but it is clear that war is not the solution. It is better that they return to the negotiating table. This is what we are praying for. In a situation like this, we dwell a little more on all that the Lord gives us and that others in other parts of the world do not have: protection, sustenance, concern for others, etc.
These days, I can see that many people have expressed their closeness to us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you. Let us pray for you, let us pray for ourselves, united in Christ, who saved the world by shedding his blood. Let us remember the letter to the Ephesians [2:14-16] where Jesus “made the two into one people, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility between us.” AsiaNews
Editor—On June 22, the United States dropped ‘bunker buster’ bombs on three of Irans’s most secret nuclear sites from stealth bombers.
The Trump administration has proclaimed the subsequent events as a total victories, though the full impact and consequences have yet to be manifest.
