Iranians Share Harrowing Experiences Amid Ongoing US-Israeli Strikes

Since 28 February, Tehran and other Iranian cities have faced intense US-Israeli strikes targeting military sites, causing widespread civilian casualties and fear. Residents describe heavy bombardment, increased security, internet blackouts, and uncertainty about the future amid ongoing conflict.

Tehran Under Heavy Attack

The number of explosions, the destruction, what is happening - it's unbelievable,

says Salar, whose name has been changed.

Since 28 February, Iran's capital, Tehran, has been subjected to intense attacks as the US and Israel target military and political sites aiming to weaken the Islamic regime.

However, other areas have also suffered collateral damage. Iranian officials reported that more than 160 people, including children, were killed when a girls' school was struck in the city of Minab on Saturday. The White House stated that the US is investigating the incident but maintains it does not target civilians.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA), over 1,100 Iranian civilians have died since the conflict began.

What we are experiencing now is beyond what we experienced during the 12-day war,

a Tehran resident told BBC Persian, referring to last year's conflict between Israel and Iran.

While some Iranians express fear for their families due to the ongoing attacks, others describe the regime as fearful and hold hope for the country's future.

The initial wave of strikes resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, yet air attacks have persisted in the days following.

Each day has felt like a month,

Salar says.

The volume of attacks is so high.

He recounted a recent air strike that caused his entire house to shake, forcing him to leave windows open to prevent glass from shattering.

EPA A man plants the Iranian flag on a pile of rubble in Tehran.

Restricted Access and Security Measures

International news organizations often face visa refusals to enter Iran, severely limiting their ability to report on internal developments. Internet blackouts further complicate information gathering.

Most residents remain indoors, venturing out only for essential supplies. The regime appears to have increased its security presence on the streets, a response perceived as addressing dissent following the ayatollah's death.

There are checkpoints everywhere. They're scared of their own shadows,

said a 25-year-old student in Tehran.

We're waiting for the grand moment, the final moment, when we all go out and we will be victorious.

The prices of staples such as eggs and potatoes have surged, and queues for petrol and bread have become extraordinarily long, he added.

Another Tehran resident told the BBC that most shops are closed and some cash machines are out of service, although supermarkets and bakeries remain open.

Tehran feels

empty

and anyone leaving home must have an

urgent reason,

she said.

On the first day, people were chanting and everyone seemed happy. But now there are police forces around.

Men watch from a hillside as a plume of smoke rises after an explosion in Tehran, Iran. Beneath them lies the city. — Tehran has been under near-constant bombardment since Saturday

Salar described receiving threats from security forces for speaking out against the regime.

Despite difficulties in accessing independent information, Salar noted that Iranian security forces have been explicit in their warnings.

Every day they send SMS messages warning that if we go outside, they will deal with us harshly,

he said.

A message came saying that if anyone among you goes out and protests 'we consider you Israeli collaborators'.

He interpreted the tone as implying that disobedience would be met with force or even lethal consequences.

Experiences from Other Cities

BBC Persian also spoke with Kaveh, a resident of Zanjan, a city approximately 275km (170 miles) northeast of Tehran, which has also been targeted.

In the first three days, our city was heavily bombed,

he said.

We live in an area where fighter jets constantly pass overhead.

He described the sky as persistently cloudy from smoke rising at air strike sites, an image he called

simultaneously beautiful and horrifying.

Salar mentioned sending his parents northward, uncertain which cities would be safe. Their home is in Tehran's Shariati neighborhood, an area with many military facilities targeted in the strikes.

My mother was in very bad shape - she was very frightened,

he said, adding that the current strikes are worse than those experienced during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

More residents continue to leave Tehran daily, though not everyone can do so.

My friend's grandmother is ill and they can't move her,

he added.

Internet blackouts have made contacting loved ones extremely difficult.

Kaveh stated that besides survival, his main concerns are maintaining contact with family and friends and accessing reliable news.

He recalled losing internet connection around midday on the first day of attacks and being offline for two days.

Both Kaveh and Salar use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to access blocked internet sites, a challenging task.

When online, Kaveh tries to assist friends outside Iran who have no news from their families by providing updates or passing messages.

Public Reactions and Uncertainty

Due to the strict security environment, assessing the overall public reaction to the supreme leader's death is difficult.

While some celebrated in the streets, others participated in government-led public mourning.

Kaveh initially found news of Khamenei's death hard to believe.

I had always imagined that moment would feel like happiness, but it didn't,

he said.

Almost all the years of my life and the lives of millions like me were destroyed and thousands lost their lives - and yet he himself was removed from the scene in a single moment, [which] made me truly angry.

Saleh expressed surprise at the street celebrations following the supreme leader's death.