On February 28, the US and Israel launched a large-scale military operation targeting Iran. A contrasting picture emerged in the Middle East: while the Iranian people were engulfed in chaos, life in Israel remained unusually calm despite the blaring air raid sirens.

Iran in chaos, divided hearts
According to NPR, Tehran residents panicked, rushing home for shelter, and frightened children streamed out of classrooms as US and Israeli airstrikes rained down on the Iranian capital.

AFP reported that Iranian authorities sent text messages to residents of Tehran urging them to “calmly leave the capital and head to another city” due to the coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes. AFP also captured images of cars flooding Tehran’s outskirts on February 28.

The Iranian government confirmed that a missile struck a girls’ elementary school in the city of Minab in Hormozgan province, killing at least 53 students. In Tehran, children panicked and rushed out of school amidst the roar of fighter jets and exploding missiles.

People rushed home seeking shelter amid a disruption of communication. A resident in western Tehran said the government had given no prior warning, leaving people completely unprepared.

In contrast, Roxanna in central Tehran expressed hope to NPR: “We hope the regime will collapse this time. We have stockpiled food and will wait.”

She said she and other opponents of the Iranian regime are now less afraid than during the 12-day war with Iran last June.