A state-imposed internet blackout has obscured the reality of life as war rages in Iran. Those fleeing through neighboring countries share a rare glimpse of what life is like in Iran.
Steve Inskip, Host:
Several countries across the Middle East are shooting down Iranian missiles and drones.
Michael Martin, Host:
The strike is seen as Iran’s response to the assassination of Iran’s security chief and the head of its paramilitary force. Iran says it fired multiple warhead missiles at Tel Aviv. And this morning, Israel’s defense minister says its military killed Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib. In a few minutes, we’ll talk to veteran journalist Scott Anderson about these developments, but first, we’ll have a glimpse of life inside Iran.
INSKEEP: It comes from people who have left their country across the border into neighboring Iraq. NPR’s Arejou Rezvani met him at the border crossing. Arezou, welcome.
AREJOU REZWANI, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Steve.
INSKEEP: What did you see?
Rezwani: So I spent a few hours at the Haji Omeran border crossing. It is nestled in the mountains, which are covered in snow at this time of the year. And as I was interviewing people, we spotted a couple of Iranian drones flying overhead over Iraq.
(soundtrack with drones buzzing)
Rezwani: The cheap, noisiest drones Iran is launching at US targets in Iraq and across the region. But beyond that, the most striking thing I noticed from my visit to the border was how afraid people were to speak up. I mean, you can see it in their eyes and you can hear it in what they choose not to say. I spoke to a woman in her 60s who was coming from a border city in Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Speaks a language other than English).
Rezvani: Although she is no longer in Iran, she asked not to be named for fear of government reprisals. And when I asked her about the war, she was really vague. He spoke only of the poor economy and avoided any discussion of war or government. And then she asked me to turn off my mic.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Speaks a language other than English).
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Speaks a language other than English).
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Speaks a language other than English).
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Speaks a language other than English).
Rezwani: She broke down in tears and said she wished the airstrikes on her city had killed her, saying that between the war and the security crackdown, life was really unbearable.
INSKEEP: You mentioned a security crackdown. What do you ask about that?
Rezvani: There has been a severe internet blackout in Iran over the past couple of weeks. Reaching people inside the country is very difficult. But those who do manage to get online — go through Starlink, for example — describe seeing more checkpoints in their cities and towns. He says the security forces are checking the phones. They look for apps that help them bypass the internet blackout. They see through videos and text messages. People say they are probably getting text messages from the government, warning them not to join crowds that could turn into protests.
A 40-year-old man lives in a city in eastern Iran, and he asked me not to identify him for fear of government reprisals. And I have seen security forces leave their stations and go to mosques and sports stadiums, which is not a common practice,” he said in the voice memo. Those stations are targeted. So it’s really hard to verify these accounts, I should note, but several people I’ve talked to in recent days have shared similar details from this crackdown. And these are accounts that match the evidence that many human rights groups are also compiling.
INSKEEP: So a lot of suffering inside Iran – and how is Iran trying to push that suffering onto its neighbors?
Rezwani: They have stepped up their attacks in the last several hours. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar intercepted Iranian missiles and drones in recent hours. Strikes took place throughout the night in Israel, including in Tel Aviv. Deaths have been reported there. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group in Lebanon, fired rockets into Israel early in the morning, and Israel is striking central Beirut.
I am speaking to you right now from Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Shortly before we started our conversation, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. A large consulate was targeted here, but it was actually Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, that was hit hard by Iranian-backed militias. So the US embassy there is under constant attack and this war doesn’t seem to be slowing down. If anything, it feels like it’s intensifying.
INSKEEP: NPR’s Arejou Rezwani is in Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Arejou, thank you very much.
Rezwani: You are welcome.
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