Initial Reactions to the Supreme Leader's Death
When Hamid heard news of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a week ago today, he experienced a wave of euphoria and took his wife and daughter into the street outside his home in Tehran to celebrate.
For the following days, as US and Israeli bombs struck buildings across the capital, the family went onto the roof of their house to observe the airstrikes, cheering each time a regime target was hit.
"Try to find anywhere else on this earth where the population would be happy with an external attack on their country,"
"But we now have hope that the regime will soon be gone. We are happy."
Hamid - a pseudonym - is not alone in his sentiments.
Gathering Perspectives Amid Conflict
Alongside colleagues from BBC Persian, we have been hearing from individuals inside and outside Iran during a momentous week for the country, its future, and the broader region.
BBC Persian is the Persian language service of , reaching 24 million people worldwide, predominantly in Iran, despite being blocked and routinely jammed by Iranian authorities.
In a police state under bombardment, with severe internet restrictions in place, it is challenging to fully gauge the mood across a vast nation of 90 million people.
Residents of Tehran have received warnings stating: "If your connection to the internet continues in the coming days, your line will be blocked and you will be referred to judicial authorities."
The regime continues to instil fear, and no one openly opposing it is willing to provide their name due to concerns about repercussions for themselves or their families.
Diverging Views on the War
One week on, while some continue celebrating every strike on the regime, others express growing fear and question the motives and objectives of the war.
"The goal of this war isn't to bring about freedom or democracy for the Iranian people,"
"It's for the geopolitical benefit of Israel, the US and Arab countries in the region."
Ali shared this perspective with us.
Mohammad, a man in his 30s living in Tehran, said he had hoped for a deal between the US and Iran that would have prevented the war.
"Deep down, I always hoped an agreement would be made,"
He had anticipated feeling happiness at Khamenei's death but ultimately
"felt nothing".
He told my colleague Soroush Pakzad that he is now filled with uncertainty about the future and, with regime checkpoints prevalent and bombardments ongoing, he feels afraid.
Complex Emotions Among Iranians
Other Iranians describe experiencing a mixture of fear, stress, and hope.
One woman remarked that living in Iran for 40 years is necessary to understand the complexity of the feelings she and others currently have.
"We laugh and are happy when the regime is hit, but when children die and our infrastructure is destroyed, we worry about the future of our country,"
There are no opinion polls in Iran, but most appear to despise a regime that has caused immense suffering.
While the regime still has many die-hard supporters, its opponents are divided between those cheering on the US and Israel and those who remain deeply suspicious.
Saeed expressed skepticism about the US government's motives:
"Trump's government – from top to bottom – they're all lying. They had no reason to attack Iran. Other than Israel wanted them to."
Aside from statements from the regime itself, fewer voices from its supporters have been heard.
Nor have we heard from those most affected by the conflict, such as the parents of children killed on 28 February in a strike on an elementary school in Minab, a southern town.
This was the deadliest known attack of the war so far.
Several Iranians have told the BBC that after 47 years under the Islamic Republic, they are so desperate to see its end that the current war represents their only hope for freedom.
Conflicted Feelings Among Exiles
Hamid's cousin in the UK, one of several million Iranians living in exile, encapsulated the conflicted feelings of many in a WhatsApp message to the BBC last Saturday:
"I hate wars, I don't want a single innocent human being killed or harmed no matter which side they are on, but I'm jumping for joy at the news of the attacks this morning.
I know, it's contradictory and mad but it's the truth. The thought that the dream of freedom from the murderous Ayatollahs might finally be turning into a reality is making me giddy with joy."
As the week ended, we asked her to help us reconnect with Hamid. However, she was unable to reach him.
"Please don't judge me,"
"But I think the strikes must continue. They have to finish the job."
Hamid had told her that the airstrikes were mostly well-targeted against the "bad" people.
However, reports indicate a growing number of civilian casualties, including many children, in a country lacking bomb shelters or sirens.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 1,000 civilians have been killed so far, including nearly 200 children.
When the war began, HRANA was still attempting to identify thousands of protesters killed during the regime's crackdown on a nationwide uprising in January.
Iranians remain traumatized by the extensive bloodshed when security forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators.
Personal Loss and Trauma
Saman, a pseudonym for a man from Isfahan, personally knew six people who were killed on the streets of the central city during that period.
He has also lost two relatives to separate airstrikes in Tehran.
He messaged Soroush Pakzad from BBC Persian at the end of the week, describing the situation in Isfahan as "truly terrifying," with body parts scattered around one target.
He described himself as being in shock and anger, stating:
"I never imagined in my worst dreams that we would become this war-stricken."
Changing Sentiments as Conflict Continues
My colleague Ghoncheh Habibiazad, who has been collecting voices from inside the country, notes that some people's views have evolved as the war has continued, especially since they did not expect it to persist after Khamenei's death.
A young woman in her 20s from Tehran, who initially said she was "over the moon" when the supreme leader was targeted, told Ghoncheh six days later:
"I'm neither happy nor sad now - just tired."
