Since the outbreak of the new war in the Persian Gulf, missile strikes from Israel and the US have targeted strategic sites in Iran, many of which are located within urban areas. Alongside government officials and military commanders—40 of whom have died from the bombings—ordinary citizens of the Islamic Republic are also suffering.
However, due to widespread internet outages, information about the situation in the country remains scarce. Nonetheless, Western journalists have managed to communicate with local residents. Meduza has compiled reports from The New York Times, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters, shedding light on how Iranians are experiencing the onset of this new war.
Residential areas and hospitals in Tehran suffer from airstrikes
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, by Tuesday, March 3, 787 Iranians were confirmed dead as a result of US and Israeli airstrikes. From the very beginning of the new war in the Persian Gulf, the attacks have targeted strategic sites in Tehran and other Iranian cities: besides government buildings and the residence of Ayatollah Khamenei, other bombed sites included the airport and the state television office.
Tehran, a densely populated city with tightly packed buildings, faces severe consequences. In an interview with The New York Times, local residents described how residential neighborhoods are often not separated from government and security agency buildings. Mina, a 61-year-old engineer, recounted how, while watching TV on Sunday, March 1, she heard a huge explosion from a nearby office just three houses away.
"The attacks are so close, the sounds are deafening. Pray we survive this night," Mina said in a voice message sent to The New York Times correspondent.
The blast wave shattered windows and doors in her building and the entire street, Mina reported. Another resident described seeing a massive explosion from her window, saying, "I thought the apartment would collapse. It was terrifying."
In one instance, the strike on a telecommunications tower in Tehran forced the staff of a nearby private hospital, Gandhi Hospital, to evacuate all patients. Additionally, other hospitals in Tehran, as well as two medical centers in different cities, were evacuated. While Al Jazeera reported some damage to several Tehran hospitals, journalists have not confirmed direct hits on these facilities.
Some locals are now afraid to go to hospitals, fearing they could be hit.
"My ten-year-old daughter is on dialysis, and now we are trapped. I'm scared to take her to the hospital. What if they bomb it? Why are you bombing us?" exclaimed Firouzeh Seraj in a conversation with Reuters.
Iranian state media also reported a missile strike hitting a girls' school, Shajareh Tayebeh, in the city of Minab on the first day of the war. According to the Tasnim agency, associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, 148 people were killed and 98 injured. However, Reuters has not been able to verify these figures.
Panic grips Tehran and surrounding cities
As explosions rang out in Tehran on Saturday, people rushed to grocery stores to stock up on food and water, according to The Wall Street Journal. Reuters sources reported long lines at gas stations, and traffic was paralyzed.
Soon after the attacks began, many residents packed their belongings into plastic bags and fled the capital, seeking refuge in the mountains or along the Caspian Sea. The number of those who left is unknown, but many remained in Tehran due to a lack of alternatives.
"People are really scared," said an anonymous oil magnate in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He himself gathered his belongings and fled Tehran for his villa by the Caspian Sea.
The airstrikes have not been limited to Tehran alone. A resident of Karaj, a city located 42 kilometers west of the capital and a major hub of the military-industrial complex, told the BBC about intense bombings. He counted 17 consecutive explosions on the first night. "The hits were so strong that the house shook. I heard loud explosions. I'm just trying to find a safe place," he added.
In Urmia, near the borders with Turkey and Iraq, a woman complained to Reuters about the total lack of shelters and aid. On Tuesday, March 3, an explosion was reported in the city.
Anger and isolation amid internet blackouts
As reported by various local residents, many Iranians are furious at being cut off from the outside world due to yet another internet blackout in the country. Fatima, an elderly woman from the port city of Bushehr, told Reuters that due to unstable network coverage and power outages, she cannot contact her children.
"My children call me, but the internet barely works. I’m afraid, so afraid, that I will never see them again because I might die in these bombings," she said.
Despite the chaos, there are no reports of widespread unrest in the cities. According to a resident of Karaj speaking with the BBC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still maintains control at the local level.
"I think the death of Khamenei and the number of people killed during recent protests have only widened the gap between the government's supporters and its opponents," said the resident. Both The New York Times and the BBC reporters noted that checkpoints have been set up throughout Tehran, with security forces thoroughly searching local residents and passing vehicles.
On Tuesday, March 3, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the heaviest strikes on Iran are still to come.
