On the morning of February 28, Saqib Mir was on the streets of Tehran when a wave of airstrikes struck the Iranian capital.
"There was chaos all around," the doctor told Scroll. "People were fleeing towards their homes via the subway."
A few hours later, Mir received news that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in an attack by the US and Israel in his home. “For three consecutive days, Israel and the US have launched major attacks,” Mir said.
On the fourth day, Mir decided that staying in Tehran was too risky. He chose to travel to Qom, a city south of Tehran because it offered greater security. He traveled 150 kilometers by bus and booked a room in a hotel.
He added that Tehran now felt almost deserted. Most people who could afford to do so had moved to other parts of the country. “It is difficult to assess the situation, and it is equally difficult to predict what lies ahead,” Mir commented.
Even in Qom, airstrikes have targeted specific locations. "We were sleeping in our hotel room when, suddenly, the building started shaking violently and shaking uncontrollably," he explained. He added that the attack occurred not far from the hotel. On March 8, another airstrike hit a residential building in Qom.
As the war against Iran drags on for a fortnight, the country’s residents are forced to live in uncertainty as the US-Israeli bombardment and missile strikes continue.
The normally bustling streets of Tehran are now empty. Many have fled the capital to nearby cities to seek shelter from the bombings. Mobile and internet connections are patchy, and few people go to work amid the intensifying conflict.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, as of March 8, military strikes have affected more than 30 provinces, killing 1,332 people and wounding 787 others. Some 7,000 civilian structures and 65 schools have been damaged.
Most of the attacks have occurred in and around Tehran. “Hospitals and emergency medical services are operating under significant strain due to the surge in cases,” the Red Crescent said in a statement.
On March 7, several oil storage facilities in Tehran and its suburb, Alborz, were struck by American and Israeli missiles, resulting in massive fires that raged throughout the day on Sunday, sending thick black smoke billowing from all directions.
Abbas Ahmed, a journalist for the 'Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting' in Tehran, told *Scroll* that on the night of March 7, a crude oil depot belonging to the 'National Iranian Oil Company' in southern Tehran was attacked. He stated, "At approximately the same time, another petroleum depot in the northwestern part of the city was struck."
A third crude oil depot in Alborz—a suburb situated near Tehran—was also attacked. He added, "Once the fires ignited, they quickly spiraled out of control."
The fires at all three depots continued to burn throughout Sunday, blanketing the entire city in a thick pall of smoke. Ahmed noted, "It rained on Sunday, which helped extinguish some of the fires."
Black rain
On March 7, American and Israeli missiles struck several oil storage facilities in Tehran and its suburb of Alborz, causing massive fires throughout Sunday and sending thick black smoke billowing from all directions.
Abas Ahmad, a reporter for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in Tehran, told *Scroll* that on the night of March 7, a crude oil depot belonging to the National Iranian Oil Company was attacked in southern Tehran. “At about the same time,” he added, “another petroleum depot in the northwest part of the city was attacked.”
A third crude oil depot was attacked in Alborz, a suburb near Tehran. “As soon as they caught fire,” he noted, “it got out of control.”
The fires at all three depots continued to burn throughout Sunday, blanketing the city in thick smoke. “It rained on Sunday,” Ahmad said, “which helped put out some of the fires.”
However, many residents reported experiencing “black rain,” as rainwater was contaminated with oil particles. Ahmad explained that the rain left black stains on buildings and roads.
Dr. Mir, who monitored the attacks on Tehran, reported that oil had spilled onto many roads and caught fire. “The rain was acidic,” he said, “and when it hit the cars, it damaged them.” In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Schools Closed, Uncertainty Prevails
For several days following the attacks, Mohammad Hassan Hajati—an Iranian national residing in Mumbai—was unable to establish contact with his relatives in Tehran.
Last week, his aunt's family called to inform him that they had relocated from Tehran to the mountains of northern Iran—an area locally referred to as 'Shomal.' "But they have no network coverage there," Hajati noted.
Another Iranian woman living in Mumbai—whose entire paternal family resides in Iran—also reported that communication with her family has become limited. "All of my father's cousins have left Tehran and moved to Yazd and other mountainous regions," she said.
Her family is involved in the cultivation and export of pistachios. "The situation is uncertain," she remarked, "but for the time being, we know that they are safe."
She further explained that, due to the long-standing conflict with Israel, schools have remained closed for extended periods. "Last year, when Israel launched an attack, schools remained closed for three months," she recalled. "Now, schools have shut down once again. This war is taking a toll on everyone."
The woman added that the situation has deteriorated further following attacks on oil depots in Tehran and Alborz. "My family did not anticipate an attack of this nature," she said. "My cousin told me that the fire could not be extinguished for a full day."
However, she also revealed that there are internal divisions within her family regarding this conflict. The younger members of the family yearn for freedom and better employment opportunities, feeling that the country's strict Islamic regime is stifling their prospects for advancement. She noted that the older members of the family, conversely, remained loyal to the Supreme Leader and had expressed profound grief upon his passing.
Indians stranded in Iran
Bashar Imtiaz Khan, a Kashmiri resident currently studying at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, said that many Indian students in their fourth and fifth year of undergraduate studies have decided to stay in Shiraz.
"Every night, we hear the sound of jets flying overhead," he said. "We fear that they may bomb us. We do not know when and where Israel and America may launch their next attack."
Nasir Khuighami, national coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Students' Union, noted that around 2,000 Kashmiri students are pursuing their studies in Iran. "In the last few days, due to security reasons, they have all left Tehran and shifted to Qom, Urmia, Arak and Shiraz," Khuighami said.
Khan noted that all the students, except for 86 Kashmiri students, have left the area. For now, he and others can go out to buy food, and join the medical college and hospital for their clinical duties. “So far, there have been no major reports of anyone getting injured in Shiraz,” he added.
He explained that despite warnings issued by the Indian embassy in January and February, the students decided to stay in Shiraz for their medical exams – the last warning was issued just five days before the outbreak of hostilities. “If we had left earlier, our degrees would have become worthless,” he said.
The Indian embassy has instructed the students stranded in Shiraz to first go low and then head towards the Jolfa border, from where arrangements can be made for their safe evacuation. The border crossing is located more than 1,400 km from Shiraz, and the road to reach it is close to Tehran. “We cannot take this risk,” Khan said.
The students have decided to stay there for now. Still, they are scared. “The intensity of the explosions is increasing,” Khan said. “Even though there are no explosions in our immediate vicinity, we can hear them clearly. We are appealing to the Indian government to evacuate us safely as soon as possible. We are even ready to pay for our tickets.”
Asif Gulzar, a third-year medical student in Ahvaz, a city near the Iraqi border, reported that while markets and public transport are operational, universities and other educational institutions are closed.
Gulzar noted that since February 28, he has seen sporadic gunfire in Ahvaz. “The sky is often covered in smoke,” he said. “They have targeted specific locations,” he added, referring to a joint operation by the US and Israel to neutralize Iranian military installations.
Ahvaz is home to a drone base and a military installation, both of which have recently been targeted.
Gulzar continues: "On the surface, everything looks normal, but in reality, it's not. People are going about their daily business, yet they are all tired and scared."
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