This article first appeared in our partner site, Independent Persian
While Iranian officials continue to issue confident claims that they are “fully prepared”, “responding decisively” and “managing the crisis”, the reality on the ground tells a very different story. On day six of Israeli strikes, Iranians are facing streets filled with fear, empty shelves at stores, long queues for bread and fuel, and promises of bomb shelters that do not actually exist. In a country that does not even have functioning air raid sirens, what people are feeling deeply, in every sense, is a slow collapse of both safety and hope. Even if they survive the missiles, the trauma of these days will linger for years.
