Now they are struggling to get by through a war with no end in sight, wrestling with lost livelihoods, damage to homes and the stress of explosions. Many wonder where it is leading — to the destruction of their homeland, the chaotic fall of the theocracy or its survival, wounded but more extreme.
“I think we’ve experienced everything bad possible,” said a 26-year-old designer in Tehran, “from the terrible atmosphere of January and the killings and arrests to the war.”
Daily explosions, near and far and unpredictable, shake and damage homes. Businesses are struggling. An unprecedented internet blackout since January has largely cut people off from the outside world and made communication within Iran more difficult.
The trauma of war comes on top of the shock from January, when hundreds of thousands across Iran marched in the biggest protests against the regime in decades — only to be met by security forces opening fire, killing and detaining thousands.
Israel and the US are targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas, raising serious concerns about the impact of the war.
The AP spoke to 10 people across Iran, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
Businesses crumbling
The designer, who, with a partner, runs a factory making leather fashion products, said her business was on the verge of closing.
“When the economy gets bad, nonessential goods are the first thing to be removed from the shopping cart,” she said. Much of her sales are online, and the internet blackout practically reduced “the small sales to zero.”
Since January, she has had to live off her meagre savings, and the crackdown upset her so much that she has not been able to return to work.
When the war began on Feb. 28, she moved to her parents’ house. A few days later, the blast from a nearby strike damaged the apartment that she had just left. Like most Iranians, she doesn’t have home insurance, so she will have to pay for repairs herself.
She only leaves her parents' house to buy necessities.
Trying to track strikes
The terrifying cadence of Israel-American airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.
An engineer living in Tehran tries to find a pattern in strikes – are certain times safer? Recent nights saw explosions light up the skies. One evening, a blast shook his home as he had guests over. They climbed up on the roof and tried in vain to figure out where it hit. “We didn’t see any visible fire,” he said.
He thinks the strikes are less frequent now, or maybe “our perception of it has changed,” as everyone gets used to bombings.
He feels anxious when family or friends go out on the streets, and struggles to sleep. He had a job offer before the war, but does not know if it is still there. Soon, he says, many will struggle with rent and bills.
Government workers, who make up a large part of the workforce, are still getting salaries. But private businesses are struggling to pay employees as they close for days on end or reduce hours.
The collapse of Iran's currency, largely caused by U.S. and international sanctions triggered the protests late last year.
Strained resources in the relatively unscathed north
Many Iranians have fled to the north, which has been relatively unscathed. One of the main cities, Rasht, has been packed with Iranians who fled from Tehran and elsewhere, straining local resources.
A doctor at a pediatric hospital said the number of patients has nearly doubled. Medicines are running out, he said, and patients now are asked to buy some basic supplies, including antibiotics or IV fluids, from the market.
The internet blackout is affecting his ability to access his patients’ history and check correct dosages online, he said.
He plays video games or watches television to pass the time. In a week-old binge, he is five seasons into “The Walking Dead,” the American postapocalyptic horror drama series.
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Surveillance of Attacks on Health Care monitor shows 21 attacks by Israel and the US targeting medical facilities across Iran since the start of the war. At least nine people have been reported killed.
Hospitals and clinics have been hit or damaged by strikes, further straining a health system already under pressure from rising casualties.
The head of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' delegation in Iran said that at least 17 Red Crescent centres have been struck, while nearly 100 ambulances have been damaged or destroyed.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Israel and the US killed more than 1,900 people in Iran since the start of the war, while at least another 20,000 have been injured.
Attacks on healthcare in war are prohibited under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which require all parties to protect medical personnel, hospitals, and patients at all times.
Deliberate strikes on healthcare facilities or personnel constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
An earlier WHO statement on attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran said, "These attacks not only cost lives but deprive communities of care when they need it most. Health workers, patients, and health facilities must always be protected under international humanitarian law."
Pro-government street rallies continued while the paramilitary Basij, charged with internal security, has stepped up patrols even as it is targeted in airstrikes.
The engineer said decades of misrule have been hard on Iranians. But he said that doesn’t justify the U.S.-Israeli attacks. He was angered by the deaths and the damage to infrastructure and military capacities.
He’s trying to channel that anger into determination to rebuild. “I’m going to be stronger after this war. I will be damaged, just like my country. But that’s it. This is life. We’re going to make it better.”
At the start of the war, U.S. President Donald Trump called on Iranians to overthrow their leaders. Now, he says he is negotiating with senior Iranian officials who he claims are “begging” for a deal, without naming them. Iran has denied that any such talks are underway.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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