In Iran, tensions have skyrocketed as a result of Israeli airstrikes across the country, in Tehran and even on Iranian oil production facilities. U.S. President Donald Trump further escalated the situation with a social media post revealing knowledge of the location of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These events, alongside the state’s unremitting violence, have many Iranians in a state of deep fear and uncertainty.
On Monday, five men who died in Israeli strikes last week were laid to rest in Khorramabad. This heartbreaking incident is a chilling reminder of the human cost of the intensifying conflict. Tehran, typically teeming and frenetic as any other city home to 9.5 million, has turned ghostly silent. Thousands more have either taken shelter inside vehicles or abandoned the city. Traffic was jammed for hundreds of miles as residents scrambled to escape the capital. Threats from Israel and Trump’s administration unnerved the audience.
The Impact of Airstrikes
Israel’s airstrikes have increasingly targeted Tehran and other cities throughout Iran. In particular, they’ve zeroed in on Shiraz in the southwest and Khuzestan province in the west. According to reports, these unjust strikes continue to inflict heavy civilian casualties, leaving families in shock and mourning. To this day, the Iranian government has battled feverishly to shape that narrative. In the year since the conflict started, it has increasingly controlled state-run media and cut off internet service across much of the country.
The overarching effects have been disproportionately traumatic among everyday Iranians. As one resident expressed, “This is not our war, but maybe, just maybe, it will end our captivity.” As a result, millions of ordinary citizens are sandwiched between foreign aggressors and the repressive government they are forced to call home. Another resident shared a stark perspective on the situation, saying, “Life goes on. The fruit shops are open. But people now understand something important — this regime’s drum was loud but hollow.”
The socioeconomic impact of the conflict is just as dire. Prices for even the most essential items have quadrupled. A loaf of bread that’s 500 tomans in Tehran is 15,000 tomans in Mashhad. CPI data shows inflation further compounds the struggles for people who have already experienced decades of economic struggle. They too suffer because of sanctions and the maladministration of their government.
The Response from Citizens
During the turmoil, many Iranians look inwardly again and need to deal with their perception on the current crisis. Many profess to want a new order, but they are terrified by the prospect that will accompany all-out war. One resident stated, “It feels like the beginning of the end. We worry about the cost. We want the regime to fall, but not through war.”
Some are less circumspect in blaming the government for creating these conditions. “We’ve been at war with its own people for decades,” said Hassan, highlighting the internal struggles faced by Iranians long before this external conflict began. For many citizens, their government is viewed as complicit in their suffering, further stirring resentment towards both local leadership and Western intervention.
I was struck by the sentiment among some residents that they longed for peace, not war. “I see no reason why my country, which doesn’t share a single inch of border with Israel, should be at war with them. There is simply no reason,” one interviewee remarked, indicating a sense of futility regarding the ongoing violence.
Global Reactions and Future Implications
Internationally, reactions to the ongoing conflict are still taking shape. Trump’s mischievous tweet about targeting Khamenei’s “tuckus” adds to the growing fire of strained diplomatic relations and worrying escalations in military attacks. When he said, “Our patience is wearing thin,” that signaled a much more aggressive posture. This tectonic shift should determine the course of future U.S. foreign policy towards this critical region.
In response to Israel, Iranian officials have doubled down on their claims. They highlight the fact that they do not seek war but that they are determined to defend their sovereignty. Ali emphasized, “Iran wasn’t just watching. It responded carefully and intelligently. No one wants war, but when Israel crosses the line of humanity, silence is betrayal.” This demonstrates an increasing determination among hardline elements in Iran to react strongly to any perceived aggressor.
The consequences of this ongoing conflict will likely resonate for years to come, affecting not only Iranian citizens but regional stability. Citizens are gripped with fear and terror. While many support overdue reforms, they don’t want reform to happen at the benefit of additional violence and harm.
