Iran Under Fire: How Ordinary Citizens Are Surviving the First Days of War
TEHRAN, Iran (LiT) — In the early hours of June 13, 2025, Tehran’s quiet streets were shattered by Israeli airstrikes, marking the devastating beginning of a war that has transformed daily life across Iran. In just the first two days, the conflict claimed at least 224 lives and injured 1,277 people, with over 90 percent being civilians, according to Iran’s Health Ministry.
For millions of Iranians, war arrived without warning, destroying homes and upending lives in a nation already struggling under years of international sanctions and economic hardship.
When Missiles Strike Home: A Content Creator’s Close Call
Sina, a young content creator, was asleep in his Tehran apartment when an Israeli missile struck the neighboring unit. The blast demolished walls, sent glass flying, and filled the air with choking debris.
The young Iranian streamer shared a quick video selfie, showing his apartment and explaining to his followers that they are all safe and have managed to leave their apartment. “The explosion struck the close-by building from the back, leaving only the bedroom intact,” Sina explained.
The response was immediate and heartbreaking. His followers flooded the comments with prayers while sharing their own stories of loss: collapsed apartments, injured neighbors, and missing loved ones.
Across Tehran, airstrikes have displaced countless families, reducing entire residential buildings to rubble in some neighborhoods.
The next day, Sina shared before and after photos of his apartment, showing the devastating aftermath of his destroyed home. The viral post became a window into a city under siege, where ordinary people document their survival in real-time.
Sina, an Iranian streamer, shared before-and-after images of his apartment, struck during Israeli strikes in #Tehran.
His post reads: “This was my home, it no longer is…” pic.twitter.com/SZBkPFdQPc— Living in Tehran (LiT) (@LivinginTehran) June 14, 2025
A Nation Learns to Live with War Overnight
Many Iranians remain in profound shock as the reality of sustained conflict sets in. Neda, a 34-year-old shopkeeper in eastern Tehran, was jolted awake by the distant rumble of explosions echoing across the street. “I thought it was a nightmare, but it kept going—boom after boom,” she told LiT. “We’re not soldiers. We don’t know how to live like this.”
⚠️ Warning: Viewer Discretion Advised!
Several people, including women and the elderly, were injured in an Israeli attack on a building in central Tehran on Sunday.
📷 Behnam Tofighi#tehran #iran #war #israel pic.twitter.com/semrNOzgWF
— Living in Tehran (LiT) (@LivinginTehran) June 16, 2025
The absence of air raid sirens, emergency broadcasting, or clear governmental guidance left civilians feeling abandoned and terrified. Social media captures this widespread bewilderment: “Nobody expected this massive attack. People are shocked, terrified, and many of them angry.”
Closed Skies, Stranded Lives: The Human Cost of Airspace Shutdown
Iran’s complete airspace closure has created a humanitarian crisis within the crisis, stranding thousands and severing families across borders. Maryam, a 27-year-old student in Tehran, had planned to visit her sister in Istanbul on June 13.
“My flight was canceled just hours before the scheduled time. My sister insists that I should go there by bus, but I would rather stay here with my old parents; I can’t leave them alone, you know,” she explained.
But the airspace closure has created far more dire circumstances for thousands of Iranians caught abroad. The majority were tourists visiting destinations like Istanbul or Dubai on package tours when war broke out. Suddenly, they found themselves evacuated from hotel rooms with no place to stay and, in many cases, insufficient funds for extended accommodation.
The crisis has sparked an unprecedented wave of solidarity among Iranians living abroad. Some have opened their homes to stranded compatriots, while others organize bus transportation or ship passages from cities like Dubai to help people return home.
Social media has become a lifeline for coordination, with posts like: “If you know someone traveling who has nowhere to stay tonight and tomorrow and really can’t afford hotel costs, message me.”
اگر کسی رو میشناسین که مسافر هست و
امشب
و فردا جایی برای موندن نداره
و
” واقعا ”
توان پرداخت هزینه ی هتل رو نداره
به من مسیج بدید.— ساحل (@hehe_mikh) June 14, 2025
Iranian Solidarity Shines Through Crisis
While public opinion remains strongly negative over the government’s preparedness and response, ordinary Iranians are demonstrating the community solidarity they’re renowned for during national crises.
Popular social media platforms overflow with offers of assistance and support. Peyman Yazdani, an Iranian photographer, posted what became a viral message on X: “If you’re abroad and have elderly parents living in Tehran who need help with buying daily essentials or a visit, send me a direct message. We can shop for them and deliver the items or visit them.”
اگر خارج از کشورید و پدر و مادر مسن ساکن تهران دارید که نیاز به خرید وسایل روزمره یا سر زدن دارند، دایرکت بدین. میشه براشون بخریم و برسونیم بهشون یا بهشون سر بزنیم.
— Peyman Yazdani (@peymanyazdani_) June 16, 2025
His post was strongly praised by thousands and encouraged many others to offer similar support on their own towns and cities. This grassroots mutual aid network has become a parallel support system, filling gaps left by overwhelmed official services and providing emotional comfort in a time of unprecedented uncertainty.
The Compound Crisis: War Meets Economic Hardship
As the Israel-Iran war continues, civilians like Sina salvage what remains of their destroyed homes while others brace for unknown dangers ahead. These opening days reveal war’s multidimensional cost—not just in casualties and destroyed infrastructure, but in the psychological toll on a population already exhausted by years of international sanctions, domestic corruption, and restricted freedoms.
The conflict has arrived at a moment when Iranian society was already strained to its breaking point. Now, ordinary citizens must navigate not only immediate physical danger but also economic uncertainty and social division, all while demonstrating remarkable resilience and community solidarity.
For Iran’s people, survival means more than dodging missiles—it means preserving the human connections and mutual support that have sustained them through centuries.
