Tehran's young shelter as missile war empties city streets
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- Tehran emptied after the US and Israel began striking Iran on 28 February, with some of the capital's 14 million residents fleeing north to Caspian cities like Rasht; Peyman, a man in his 30s, said the metro now has 30 to 40 empty seats per rider
- Starlink devices have become a lifeline during Iran's 12-day internet blackout — NetBlocks reports connectivity at just 1% of normal levels after 264 hours — though using the service carries a punishment of up to two years in prison
- Mehran, a Tehran man in his 20s, shares his hidden Starlink connection with at least 25 people, stashing the device in a remote location while access sells for about $6 per GB on Telegram against an estimated $200–300 average monthly salary
- Strikes on oil depots sent days of dark skies and black rain over Tehran before snow fell Tuesday night; Mina, a woman in her 20s who fled to Rasht, recalled her flat shaking "all the way to the front door" and windows lighting up "as if it were morning"
- Sahar, a woman in her 20s sheltering in Tehran, told BBC Persian that a schoolmate was killed in a strike and her body has not been recovered, and that her creativity has surged under stress: "I end up building prettier homes in the game"
- Nowruz preparations have stalled with fewer than 10 days until the Persian New Year — normally a time when families gather and markets fill with sweets and nuts — as residents told BBC Persian the run-up "doesn't feel like Nowruz"
Why it matters: With connectivity at 1% of normal and Starlink use punishable by up to two years in prison, the infrastructure of daily communication for Tehran's 14 million residents has been criminalized alongside the physical danger of strikes. The disruption of Nowruz marks a social rupture as visible as the empty metro and dark skies from bombed oil depots.
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