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Salar, whose name has been changed, says, "The number of explosions, the destruction, and what is happening - it's unbelievable." Since the beginning of the strikes on February 28, the US and Israel have targeted military and political targets in an effort to weaken the Islamic regime, and Tehran, the capital of Iran, has been the target of numerous attacks. However, as a result of the strikes, other areas have been affected. Saturday's attack on a girls' school in the city of Minab, according to Iranian officials, killed more than 160 people, including children. The incident is under investigation, according to the White House, but civilians are not the target. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA), based in the United States, reports that since the beginning of hostilities, more than 1,100 Iranian civilians have been killed. One resident of Tehran tells BBC Persian, referring to the conflict that erupted last year between Israel and Iran, "What we are experiencing now is beyond what we experienced during the 12-day war." Some Iranians say that the ongoing attacks have made them afraid for their families; others, on the other hand, describe the regime as fearful but are optimistic about the country's future.
Read More: What's real and fake in the US-Israeli war with Iran?
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, was killed in the first round of strikes, but air attacks haven't stopped in the days since. Salar asserts, "Each day has felt like a month." "The number of attacks is extremely high." He claimed that a recent air strike had shaken his entire house and that he had to keep his windows open so the glass wouldn't break. The inability of international news organizations to obtain visas to visit Iran severely restricts their ability to gather information about the country's internal affairs. The situation is made even more difficult by internet outages.
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The majority of people are staying inside and only going outside for supplies. Iranians have interpreted the regime's apparent increase in street security as a response to the dissent that followed the ayatollah's death. "All over the place are checkpoints. "They're afraid of their own shadows," says a student in Tehran who is 25 years old. "We're waiting for the big moment, the last moment, when we will all go out and win," According to him, the prices of essentials like eggs and potatoes have also skyrocketed, and the lines for bread and gasoline "are unbelievable." The BBC hears from another resident of the capital that while supermarkets and bakeries are still open, most shops have closed and some cash machines have stopped working. She claims that Tehran is "empty" and that anyone leaving their home must have an "urgent reason." "Everyone seemed happy on the first day, and people were chanting. However, there are now police officers present."
Salar talked about security forces threatening to stop people from speaking out against the country's regime. According to Salar, Iranian security forces have been making their demands clear, despite the difficulty in gaining access to independent information. He claims, "They send SMS messages every day warning that they will deal with us harshly if we go outside." "A message arrived stating that "we consider you Israeli collaborators" if any of you protests." He believes that the tone of the message conveyed the message that anyone who disobeyed would be dealt with severely or even executed.
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| Tehran has been under near-constant bombardment since Saturday (Image:getty Images) |
In addition, BBC Persian spoke with Kaveh, whose name has also been changed, who lives in Zanjan, a city that has also been targeted and is approximately 275 kilometers (170 miles) north-west of Tehran. He states, "Our city was heavily bombed in the first three days." We live in an area where fighter jets fly overhead frequently. He goes on to say that, following the outbreak of the war, the smoke columns rising from the locations of air strikes had caused the sky to become constantly cloudy, an image that he describes as "simultaneously beautiful and horrifying." Although he was uncertain as to which cities would be safe, Salar claims that he sent his parents north. Their residence is in Tehran's Shariati neighborhood, where numerous military facilities have been targeted. He says, "My mother was in very bad shape - she was very scared." He also says that the strikes right now are worse than the eight years of war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. He adds that more and more people are leaving Tehran each day, but not everyone can. "They can't move the sick grandmother of my friend." Iranians have also had a very hard time getting in touch with their loved ones due to the internet outages. Kaveh claims that, in addition to ensuring his own survival, his primary concerns have been attempting to keep in touch with friends and family and obtaining access to reliable news. He recalls that on the first day of the attacks, his internet connection went down around noon, and he was unable to reconnect for two days. Although it is not an easy task, Kaveh and Salar are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to access websites that the Iranian government blocks. Kaveh tries to assist "friends outside Iran who have no news from their families - to get updates or pass along messages" when he does get online.
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| The regime appears to have increased its security presence on the streets of Tehran (Image: Supplied) |
It is impossible to gauge the general reaction to the death of the supreme leader because of Iran's tight security. While some people celebrated on the streets, others participated in public memorial services led by government officials. At first, the news that Khamenei had been killed was hard for Kaveh to believe. According to him, "I had always imagined that moment would feel like happiness, but it didn't." "He himself was removed from the scene in a single moment, [which] made me truly angry," I said. "Almost all the years of my life and the lives of millions of people like me were destroyed and thousands lost their lives." According to Saleh, he was unaware of the street celebrations following the announcement of the supreme leader's death. After the attack, there was a lot of emphasis on security in the city. It is still." The men are unaware of the consequences of the war for themselves, their families, or their nation. Salar asserts, "I doubt any of us will ever be the same as before," noting that many individuals are experiencing severe stress. He says, referring to supporters of the son of Iran's former royal family who have backed the US and Israeli military action, "really don't know what we are experiencing." "Those abroad, especially monarchists" "I hope they never have to," he adds. According to Kaveh, he believes that the war "won't end as quickly as we thought." "Nevertheless, my hope has not diminished. It actually gets stronger with each day." He states, "I don't know what will happen after this 'operation,'" but adds, "something worse would definitely have happened" without it. "At least there is still a chance for life and tomorrow in this way."
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