How life continues amid constant bombing, a Tehran resident’s diary

War is currently taking place in the Middle East. The conflict began after attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. Continuous strikes have severely disrupted daily life in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

A protester, referred to by the pseudonym Elahi, had previously been imprisoned for participating in demonstrations against the Iranian authorities. After being released, she is now living in Tehran and describes one sleepless night during the war.

On 12 March, around 5 a.m., after a terrifying day, she had just begun to fall asleep when her phone rang. She immediately felt fear, calls at that time usually mean someone is in danger.

It was her younger sister, crying uncontrollably. Elahi had not seen her for a long time because after Elahi’s release from prison, her sister had moved to another city to take care of their mother.

Her sister had returned home for her birthday, but soon after that the war began. They were now staying in different houses in Tehran. Her sister had been taking care of Elahi’s son so that Elahi could stay somewhere safer and avoid being arrested again. Elahi told her how grateful she was. But the sister finally managed to say through tears that their neighbor had been killed in an explosion.

For a moment Elahi imagined the neighbor’s face. Like her, he smoked cigarettes. Perhaps he was standing on his balcony for a cigarette, or perhaps he had come outside to watch drones flying overhead.

Maybe he was simply trying to understand where the drones were going. Or maybe he had stepped outside thinking about how to find petrol so he could take his two children to a safer city.

Elahi wished she were in a desert where she could scream and cry freely. She said the last time she cried was in January after protesters were killed. She wondered why people in her country could not grieve freely like others around the world.

She could not sleep anymore. She got up and went to a small gas burner she called her “kitchen” to make coffee. But coffee had become very expensive, so she tried to save money. Cigarettes were also expensive, yet she continued smoking.

Since a bombing at a fuel depot the previous week, she had felt burning in her chest and difficulty breathing. She had bought an inhaler that now hung around her neck.

At 6:30 a.m., another explosion shook the area. Looking outside the window, she saw government supporters driving through the streets singing mourning songs and shouting that everyone must stay united for the homeland.

She angrily thought their mistakes had destroyed the country. She also thought about Donald Trump, believing that if action had been taken earlier, perhaps 35,000 people might still be alive. She feared that Iran might be destroyed but the Islamic Republic could still survive.

She prepared to send some lentils and a small amount of money to a woman whose husband was in prison and who had a small child. It was the last money they had. There was almost no cash left anywhere.

By 8 a.m., the streets were crowded again. People continued their daily routines, although everyone looked exhausted and hopeless. Day laborers came looking for work, but many found none. Life in Tehran has not stopped, but it has become dark and bitter.

The diary from Tehran shows that behind geopolitical strategies and military operations. There are millions of ordinary people trying to survive each day. Any long-term solution must prioritize their safety and stability rather than geopolitical rivalry.