Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Tehran and across the Middle East on Friday in a coordinated show of defiance against Israel, amid heightened tensions following a recent exchange of strikes between the two nations.

State-run media in Iran broadcast images of large crowds in the capital waving Iranian and Hezbollah flags, while holding photos of military commanders reportedly killed since the conflict began.

A presenter described the day as a “Friday of national solidarity and resistance.”

Banners carried by protesters included strong messages of allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with one reading: “I will sacrifice my life for my leader.”

Similar demonstrations were reported in cities including Tabriz in the northwest and Shiraz in the south.

The protests come in the wake of an Israeli airstrike on Iranian targets last week, which prompted a retaliatory missile barrage from Tehran.

Leading Friday prayers in Tehran, senior cleric Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari described Israel’s actions as acts of “despair,” and accused it of orchestrating a psychological campaign aimed at turning Iranian citizens against their government.

“Their planning was detailed, but their calculations laughable,” he said, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA.

The regional ripple effect of the crisis was evident across several capitals.

In Iraq, tens of thousands of followers of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr poured into the streets of Baghdad and other major cities after Friday prayers.

In Sadr City, the cleric’s stronghold, demonstrators chanted “No to Israel! No to America!” as they condemned what they called an “unjust war.”

“This has nothing to do with Iran’s nuclear programme,” said protester Abu Hussein. “Israel and America want control of the Middle East.” In the holy city of Kufa, protesters set fire to Israeli and American flags.

Iraq remains a critical geopolitical player, balancing alliances with both Iran and the United States, a dynamic that adds complexity to the region’s fragile stability.

In Beirut, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters staged a demonstration in the southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group.

Participants, including families and youth, waved Iranian and Hezbollah flags and held up portraits of Khamenei.

“It is my duty to stand with Iran against the Zionist enemy,” said 60-year-old Adnan Zaytoun. Although Hezbollah has not officially committed to military intervention, supporters echoed readiness to act if provoked. “We are resilient,” said 18-year-old Fadel Saad. “Even if they destroy our homes, we will not surrender.”

Meanwhile, in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and other regions under Houthi control, tens of thousands turned out for protests organized by the Iran-backed rebel group, further underscoring the widening reach of regional anger.

As fears of broader confrontation grow, observers warn that continued escalation could draw in a wider web of Iranian-aligned factions and push the Middle East toward an even more volatile and unpredictable future.