In the Iranian capital, the streets were partially deserted by residents on Tuesday evening, 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 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 have removed mirrors and everything that can break with the impact of strikes. We have stocked up on drinking water. We are also ready for power outages and have prepared emergency bags with our papers and medications in case we need to leave quickly.”
Tehran, Iran, has turned into a ghost town in the past month, with deserted streets and closed shops. Residents who had the opportunity have fled to the countryside to seek shelter. With Donald Trump’s fierce threats, the capital retreats even further into itself. A mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, admits she cannot get used to the fear, and her children, whom she shields from the camera, are terrified: “It is 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, seeks refuge in my arms. I have to reassure her and be strong for her,” she explains.
In the country, many Iranians have wished for war. But her husband is increasingly concerned about the excesses of the American president: “Trump is so undecided. We don’t know what he has in store for us, what he can decide, we are ignorant. What is his plan? What will he do to us? We can’t even say if we will be alive tomorrow. Today, I am unable to tell you whether I think this war is a good thing or not.”
The father follows the state television news with uneasiness. Like another resident we were able to reach by phone today. He is already deeply upset by the destruction of civil infrastructure, such as a recently attacked hospital. According to the World Health Organization, around twenty medical sites have already been damaged. And his concern grows even stronger tonight: “We feel 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 are killed by Trump, or we are stopped by the regime. That is our choice.”
Two days ago, in a park in Tehran, Iranians were seeking a moment of respite before the uncertainties of the ultimatum. Students, in the sun, without their mandatory veil, still wanted to see a glimmer of hope in the unknown: “At least, the morality police leave us really alone. When I pass the checkpoints, the police say nothing about my hair. Certainly because they no longer have a police station to take us to. They have been destroyed,” they testified. The irony, to not give in to the anxiety of this conflict where none of the parties see the end.
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