Friends of the Iranian people? The dead beg to differ
Tehran Insider
Firsthand reports from contributors inside Iran
Five days have passed since the war began. Last night, Donald Trump told us to leave Tehran—but didn’t say where.
Firsthand reports from contributors inside Iran
Five days have passed since the war began. Last night, Donald Trump told us to leave Tehran—but didn’t say where.
Unlike the jammed roads out of Tehran, the city itself is quiet—until it isn’t. Then come the missiles, the drones, the air defenses. Silence shatters. We brace. Then wait. Then do it all over again.
People’s reactions are far from uniform.
Some still cling to the idea that this war isn’t really theirs—that it’s between Israel and the Islamic Republic and will not touch their homes or families. They believe, somehow, they’ll be spared.
They have chosen not to let reality shake their belief, not to allow the mounting rubble and growing number of deaths register.
Today I overheard someone at the grocery store say Khamenei had fled to the mountains, and that the war would end by Tuesday. I told him this is Tuesday. He nodded and said, “Exactly—so it ends today.”
Others saw what was coming and hit the roads by Day 3, hoping to reach safety outside the capital. Many didn’t get far.
The highways are still choked with cars; people are running out of fuel, out of options. Many are stuck—no way forward, no way back. Tehranis are heading north, toward the Caspian provinces that have neither the space nor the infrastructure to absorb them.
There’s fear of what’s waiting on the other end: food shortages, fuel scarcity, and overcrowded shelters. And yet, people keep fleeing.
For those who stay behind, the fear is different but no less consuming.
Israel’s defense minister has declared that Tel Aviv will take revenge not just on the Islamic Republic—but on Tehran itself. And so the city waits.
It’s hard to grasp how fast everything collapsed. Just last week, we believed we were in a “tense but manageable” phase. Now, even that looks like a golden age.
Few believe the Iranian leadership will prioritize the people over their own survival. You can feel that abandonment hanging in the air.
I asked the grocer if deliveries are still coming. “So far, just dairy,” he said. “We’re waiting on bread and soda.” Most shops are shuttered. Workplaces are closed. It feels like the city is holding its breath.
The government says the metro can be used as a shelter. But for those who remain, home still feels safer—if only psychologically.
Most people I know or encounter just want the war to end—with a deal, a collapse, or just a pause in the strikes. “One way or another,” as my partner puts it.
Wasn’t this about nuclear facilities, many ask. Why target city ministries? Why strike targets nestled inside residential neighborhoods?
We’re friends of the Iranian people, Israeli officials say. Well, the dead and wounded beg to differ. So far, the casualties are overwhelmingly civilian. Homes have been flattened. Lives erased.
Tragic stories abound.
A young man is missing. His pregnant wife lies in a hospital bed, her body broken. A young poet and her entire family are gone. Painful images that the regime’s media machine tries to use and misuse.
On social media, the battle over the truth is as fierce as anything in the skies.
People are still hoping the power and water systems will be spared. Just imagine: no electricity, no water—on top of everything else.
I saw a woman today carrying water half her weight. Many are stocking up, but for a few days’ need only. They can’t imagine the war lasting longer than that.
But what if it does? Worried whispers are starting. What if this becomes another Ukraine? Or another Gaza?
We drift between disbelief and dread, clinging to the same fragile wish: that this nightmare ends—one way or another—soon.
Respondents were asked: "On the night between Thursday and Friday, Israel launched an attack against military targets in Iran. In response, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles at targets within Israel. What is your position?"
The results show a clear national divide between Jewish and Arab Israelis, the latter comprising 20% of the population.
“While Jewish Israelis largely see the Iran strike as unifying and justified even at high cost, Arab Israelis view it as divisive, dangerous, and diplomatically unjustified — underscoring a profound gap in public sentiment across Israeli society," the report said.
The research was carried out by Gayil Talshir and Nimrod Nir from the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
When asked, “Do you support Israel carrying out military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities?” 58% of Jewish Israelis expressed support for strikes even without US backing, 40% favored military action only with American cooperation, and 2% preferred a diplomatic approach.
Among Arab Israelis, 11% support striking Iran’s nuclear facilities even without American backing, 6% support military action only with US cooperation and 73% prefer a diplomatic route.
When asked, “Do you think Israel can completely destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and eliminate the military threat Iran poses to Israel without American military assistance?” 27% of Jewish respondents said yes, compared to just 9% of Arab respondents.
Only one-third (33%) of Jewish respondents say Israel should comply with US requests to halt the campaign if asked, compared to 78% of Arab respondents who believe Israel should stop the attacks to pursue an agreement preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Goal of Israeli attacks
Respondents were also divided on the campaign’s ultimate goal. When asked, “What should be the ultimate goal of Israel’s action against Iran’s nuclear program?”, only 14% of Arab Israelis supported a full military dismantling of Iran’s capabilities, compared to 56% of Jewish respondents.
The report surveyed 1,057 Israelis aged 17-86 on the attacks on Iran, what Israel calls operation Rising Lion.
So far, 24 deaths have been reported in Israel since Friday, with hundreds more injured, but speaking to Iran International, former military intelligence officer Miri Eisin, said the operation is going far better than could have been expected, with minimal casualties compared to what had been prepared for and massive gains, including taking control of Iranian air space.
Iran says more than 200 people have been killed since Friday amid extensive Israeli strikes, which have killed scores of the country's military leadership.
Even Israelis opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been supportive of the operation, seeing a changing sentiment towards the long-time premier.
US President Donald Trump on Monday issued evacuation warnings to Tehran, suggesting he will back Israel in its attacks in a bid to quash the threat of a nuclear armed Iran.
"Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" he added.