When US and Israeli missiles fell on Iran on February 28, Iranians saw their Internet access cut off, as was the case during the brutal crackdown on nationwide protests in early January. Internet traffic fell to one percent of normal activity and calls from abroad were blocked, even through landlines.
The FRANCE 24 observer team managed to contact two Iranians during the bombings. They described hearing the first airstrikes, then the news of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death, and the impact of the attacks on their lives and hopes for the future.
The Tehranpars neighborhood in eastern Tehran was attacked on March 3, 2026.
“We were happy to know that Khamenei is dead”
Dariush (not his real name) is a man in his 40s who works in the private sector.
“When the attacks started I was at work. You may not believe it, but many of my colleagues almost expected this to happen, given the massacre that had occurred. People were happy in a sense; it was different from the last time Israel attacked, in June 2025.
Of course, I also had a feeling of fear: fear because airstrikes were falling around my house. We could hear the sound of missiles nearby.
That night, when the news of Khamenei’s death arrived, the entire neighborhood began to celebrate. From the windows we could hear their voices of joy. We were happy. “Everyone was happy.”
Videos posted on Telegram on February 28, 2026 show Iranians reacting with joy as US and Israeli airstrikes hit Iran.
“Even with millions of people in the streets, nothing can be achieved”
Simin (not her real name) is another resident of Tehran. He also expressed support for airstrikes.
“The horrible massacre that happened in early January made it clear: we understood that even with millions of people in the streets, nothing can be achieved. You can’t overthrow a regime that is willing to kill thousands of people to survive, so it definitely has to happen from the outside. That’s why everyone was ready for war.”
Dariush agreed that the January 2026 crackdown influenced Iranians’ reactions to the US and Israeli attack.
“I want to say that I am not happy that war broke out. For us to achieve freedom, war is the only option. The Iranians have tried other options, but they did not work.
If people are happy it is also because it means they get a little revenge for the massacre that took place, which gives them some comfort. And also, for once, some hope for change.
Many people disapproved of the war of 2025 and were not happy at all; perhaps it had even united the people behind the regime. But after the massacre we suffered at the beginning of January, everyone thinks that change could not be achieved by other means.”
‘Support for strikes could fade’
But Dariush warns that Iranian support for the US and Israeli attacks is not unconditional, citing incidents such as an attack on a school in the southern city of Minab in which the regime claims 105 people were killed, and the historic Golestan Palace in Tehran.
“For now, many ordinary Iranians are supporting these attacks. But if eventually their businesses, hospitals, schools and shops are damaged, support for the attacks could fade. They may feel that they are the ones being attacked, that their lives are in danger. The news shown on state media shows only civilians who have been killed, especially at Minab’s school. Reports like that could dash Iranians’ hope.
Right now, seeing the news about the attack on the Tehran market today, and also a report I saw about the damage to the Golestan Palace and some other historical sites, I have to say that we don’t like it. “If this continues, people get scared and become less supportive of the attacks.”
On March 2, 2026, attacks on a television complex in northern Tehran also damaged the neighboring Gandhi Hospital. Patients, including newborns, were evacuated.
‘I’m ready to die. Life under the Islamic Republic is not living’
Hatred of the regime runs so deep among some Iranians that they say they would rather die than live under the Islamic Republic. Simin is one of them.
“I am really ready to die. Obviously, I would prefer to stay alive so that we can enjoy the good life we could have in Iran after the fall of the Islamic Republic. But the life we have now under the Islamic Republic can hardly be called life. There is a big difference between just getting through the days and truly living. This is not life. So, yes, I can say that I am ready to die.”
The headquarters of the Expediency Discernment Council, an advisory body to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was attacked on the afternoon of March 3, 2026.
Unlike the 12-day war of 2025, when many Tehran residents fled the capital for other cities, this time many have decided to stay. Both Dariush and Simin say they and other residents are convinced that the Israel-U.S. coalition strikes are accurate and will not affect civilians. However, Dariush emphasizes that there is another reason:
“There is also a second reason: this time many people are waiting for the military campaign to end, so that, if necessary, they can take to the streets and overthrow the regime. I hope that Iran will be free one day, and that all these fears and horrors will become just a distant memory.”
