Acid rain stained the streets of Tehran black in the wake of overnight missile strikes, as residents emerged onto rooftops to witness what one Iranian writer described as a “meteor shower from the complete of days.” The strikes targeted oil depots as part of a joint military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran, according to reports emerging from the besieged city.
The writer, identified only as Hadi, has been documenting the escalating conflict since it began, sharing voice notes and videos with a contact outside of Iran. He described a mixture of “amazement and terror” as missiles rained down on the capital. The attacks followed the killing of a top Iranian decision-maker, Ali Larijani, in an Israeli strike on Tuesday, prompting vows of retaliation from Tehran. The head of Basij, Iran’s paramilitary force, has also been killed, according to reports.
President Trump has called on the Iranian people to rise up and establish a new order, but an uprising appears unlikely. As of this week, more than fourteen hundred Iranians have been killed, and thousands have fled Tehran, the epicenter of the attacks. One father recounted leaving the city with his family immediately after celebrating his son’s fourth birthday. “My son hates loud noises. I had told him Superman was coming to save Iran, and that we would be back soon,” he said.
The cost of leaving Tehran is prohibitive for many. Hotel rooms and rental houses elsewhere are reportedly expensive, leaving some residents with the difficult choice of remaining in the city. Hadi, along with a number of his friends, has deliberately chosen to stay, citing a sense of obligation to witness the unfolding turmoil. Many are dissidents with a history of participation in political uprisings dating back to 2009, accustomed to operating in the shadows.
Hadi first connected with a journalist in January, following a nationwide crackdown on protesters that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranians. Inspired to document the events, he began sharing information after witnessing brutality accompanied by a regime-imposed internet blackout. “In a forced darkness, misinformation spreads easily, and people are left with fragments,” he wrote. “There were things happening that I could not allow to disappear into the void.”
Since the war broke out, Hadi has reported a rapid deterioration of conditions in Tehran. Shops have closed, along with gas stations and ATMs, due to shortages of fuel and cash. Hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed, having run out of blood and turning away patients. Some Iranians who initially welcomed the offensive as an opportunity to oust the regime now fear a prolonged conflict leading to increased repression and further economic sanctions.
The Iranian government has sent daily text messages to citizens warning of severe punishment for anyone assisting the enemy, according to Hadi’s dispatches. Meanwhile, a US warship believed to be carrying Marines and sailors was nearing the Malacca Strait off Singapore, maritime tracking data showed on Tuesday, as it made its way to the Middle East. A senior US intelligence official appointed by President Trump abruptly resigned, citing misgivings about the administration’s war with Iran, a move Trump called a “good thing.”
Renewed attacks have also been reported at the US Embassy in Baghdad, with US embassy personnel inspecting damage caused by a bombing on Saturday, March 14. Lebanon’s ambassador to India, Hadi Jaber, expressed regret over his country taking sides in the conflict, stating that the widening U.S.-Israel–Iran conflict has engulfed Lebanon in ways its government did not intend or approve.
Leave a Reply