Iranians face war, blackouts, lost livelihoods
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- Iranians are grappling with lost livelihoods and damaged homes one month after U.S. and Israeli bombs struck Tehran on Feb. 28, disrupting daily life and deepening an already severe economic crisis.
- A Tehran-based designer running a leather fashion factory saw her online sales drop to nearly zero due to an internet blackout that began in January, compounding losses from the war and protest-related shutdowns.
- An engineer in Tehran described living under constant anxiety, tracking unpredictable airstrikes and struggling to sleep, while fearing for the safety of family and the stability of his job prospects.
- A doctor in Rasht reported that patient loads at his pediatric hospital have nearly doubled due to internal displacement, with medicine shortages forcing families to buy antibiotics and IV fluids from markets.
- Government workers continue to receive salaries, but private-sector businesses are failing to pay employees as closures and reduced hours become widespread amid the conflict.
- The Islamic Republic faces deep public ambivalence, with some Iranians fearing that U.S.-Israeli attacks could entrench a more oppressive regime, while others see war as the only path to ending clerical rule.
Why it matters: The war has intensified a preexisting humanitarian and economic crisis in Iran, where private livelihoods are collapsing, medical systems are strained, and internet blackouts hinder both communication and care. With no clear end in sight, the conflict risks entrenching a more repressive theocracy even as it destroys infrastructure and civilian stability.
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