Israel continued its assault on Tehran on Sunday night, with long lines forming outside gas stations and bakeries as residents sought to flee the capital. Their narratives are filled with fear, confusion, and a sense of powerlessness in the wake of the Israeli attack last Friday. A 21-year-old music student, Donya, shared via encrypted messaging, "We haven't slept for several nights." She stated, "I'd rather die in my home than flee."

Donya, who has distanced herself from the regime she despises and witnessed the devastation in Gaza through a screen, remarked, "I don’t want my beautiful Tehran to turn into Gaza." Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's call for Iranians to rise against the theocratic government, she asserted, "We don’t need Israel to save us." Another woman expressed an initial "strange excitement" when she saw Israeli strikes on high-ranking Iranian officials she believed were invincible, but her feelings shifted to sadness and fear as news of ordinary people being killed emerged. Official Iranian data has reported over 220 fatalities since last Friday, many of them women and children.

Unlike Israel, Iran lacks immediate air raid alerts and bomb shelters. Missiles rain down, and reports of car bombings in Tehran have caused further panic and chaos. Some regime supporters are also dissatisfied with the failure of their so-called defense system. Many Iranians harbor deep-rooted distrust of their government. Donya, who often defied strict dress codes, chose to stay home after her university exams were postponed. She stated, "I’m really scared at night," and mentioned taking medication to help her relax and sleep.

The Iranian government has suggested that citizens take refuge in mosques and subway stations; however, when explosions occur without warning, this becomes nearly impossible. "Tehran is a big city, but it seems every community is affected," stated another young woman. "We can only check the news once every hour and call friends and family in the bombed areas to confirm they are still alive." She and her family have moved to an area without government buildings due to the heightened risks. However, in a country like Iran, one can never truly know who their neighbors are. Many families are experiencing internal conflict with differing opinions on the current situation. Line by line, it becomes clearer how the tensions within Iranians are surfacing.