In a recent development, Israel has carried out a series of airstrikes targeting top Iranian military officials, plunging the authoritarian regime in Iran into a state of crisis. This has sparked jubilation among many Chinese internet users, who hope that the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian rule will also face similar setbacks.
The Israeli airstrikes have been relentless, hitting Iranian nuclear facilities and executing dozens of military leaders, including the highest-ranking commander in Iran. As a result, the religious authoritarian government in Iran is on the brink of collapse. Within Iran and mainland China, numerous freedom-seeking individuals are eagerly awaiting a “change of regime.”
Dubbed as the “CCTV of Iran” by Chinese netizens, the Iranian state television network came under attack from Israel. Prior to the airstrikes, Iranian citizens took to social media to share photos pinpointing the coordinates of the Iranian state television station, urging Israel to strike. Netizens expressed their astonishment, realizing that Israel’s targeting of this Iranian propaganda outlet was in response to the demands of the Iranian people.
Similar sentiments have been observed on social media platforms in mainland China as well.
On June 18th, a Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) influencer capitalized on the trending topic, releasing a video discussing the “decapitation operation,” which resonated strongly with many Chinese internet users. The barrage of comments on the video was filled with the character “接” (to receive or accept in Chinese), indicating the strong desire of the Chinese populace for senior Chinese Communist Party officials to be figuratively decapitated.
Furthermore, a netizen disclosed certain coordinates in the comment section. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the coordinates corresponded to Yingtai Island in Zhongnanhai, the location of the office of the top Chinese Communist Party leaders.
According to the influencer’s explanation, the decapitation operation is a tactical maneuver in modern warfare that involves precise intelligence and high-precision guided weaponry to achieve targeted strikes directly against the enemy’s leadership and their key institutions, thereby eroding their will to resist. The strategy of striking at the heart of the enemy first vividly reflects this concept. The key elements of a decapitation operation are speed, precision, and internal support. By avoiding civilian casualties, this tactic provides an added layer of protection for the ordinary people, thus garnering widespread approval among the populace.