On Tuesday evening in the Iranian capital, the streets were partially deserted by the residents, while those who remained shared their fear of new American strikes.
From the roof of their building, a couple of Iranian teachers have been anxiously scanning the sky for several days, preparing for an escalation of the conflict. Like the majority of residents still present in the Iranian capital, they have reinforced their windows with duct tape and tried to anticipate massive strikes: “We’ve removed mirrors and anything that can break from the strikes. We’ve stocked up on drinking water. We’re also prepared for power outages and have packed emergency bags with our documents and medications in case we need to leave quickly,” they said.
Tehran, Iran, has become a ghost town in the past month with deserted streets and closed shops. Residents who had the means have gone to seek shelter in the countryside. With Donald Trump’s fierce threats, the capital retreats further into itself. A mother who wishes to remain anonymous expresses her inability to get used to fear, and her children, whom she shields from the camera, are terrified: “It’s impossible to get used to the sound of bombs. With each explosion, we wonder what will happen, where the next one will fall. It’s distressing. My youngest daughter is very scared. She covers her ears, seeking refuge in my arms. I have to reassure her and be strong for her,” she explains.
In the country, many Iranians have desired war. But her husband is increasingly concerned about the excesses of the American president: “Trump is so indecisive. We don’t know what he has in store for us, what he might decide, we have no idea. What is his plan? What will he do to us? We don’t even know if we’ll be alive tomorrow. Today, I can’t tell you if I think this war is a good thing or not.”
The father follows the state television news with trepidation. Like another resident we were able to reach by phone today. He is already shaken by the destruction of civilian infrastructure, like a hospital recently. According to the WHO, around twenty medical sites have already been damaged. And his concern doubles tonight: “We have the feeling that America is going to destroy everything and that Israel wants to level Iran like Gaza. There is no longer the trust in Trump that there was at the beginning. We never asked for this. Today, either we’re killed by Trump, or we’re stopped by the regime. That’s our choice.”
Two days ago, Iranians in a park in Tehran sought some respite before the uncertainties of the ultimatum. Students, in the sun, without their obligatory veils, still wanted to see a glimmer of hope in the unknown: “At least, the morality police really leave us alone. When I pass checkpoints, the police say nothing about my hair. Certainly because they no longer have a station to take us to. They’ve been destroyed,” they testified. Irony, to avoid yielding to the anxiety of a conflict where neither side sees an end.
