War

What Is Life Like Beneath the Bombs of the Iran War?

Reason speaks with civilians about wartime life in Iran, Israel, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Matthew Petti | 3.9.2026 11:40 AM

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Plumes of smoke rise over the oil depot tanks hit by joint Israel-U.S. overnight in a station northwest of the capital in Tehran in Iran on Sunday, March 8, 2026. (str/UPI/Newscom)

Since the U.S.-Israeli air raids on Iran last week, every single country in the region has seen some level of bombing or even ground skirmishes. While most Americans are experiencing the war mostly through higher prices at the gas pump—though a few families have made the ultimate sacrifice—Middle Easterners are going about their lives to a constant rhythm of air raid sirens and deadly projectiles.

The war has killed at least 1,698 people throughout the Middle East, the vast majority of them in Iran. Here are a few stories from people around the region who spoke to Reason. On both sides of the front line, there is widespread fear, uncertainty about the future, and mistrust in the government. Because all of these countries are under some degree of wartime censorship, Reason has changed the names of everyone involved.

Iran

Hossein had been expecting war for weeks, but it was still a shock when it happened. He woke up to his family discussing the news of the U.S. attack and arguing about whether to leave the house or not. "I decided to tag along given that I would rather die with my family than stay home," he wrote in his diary.

The family got in the car and drove to the countryside outside of Isfahan, their home city. Hossein saw long lines at gas stations. Along the highway, Hossein heard a loud boom and the music on the car radio suddenly cut out. Warplanes had attacked the radio station. The family turned around and headed straight home.

Although Isfahan has not borne the brunt of the air raids, there was a deadly series of attacks on the fourth day of the war. "Every time there is a sound, I have to listen carefully to distinguish whether it's a missile being fired at the enemy (the whooshing of the booster) or the constant airflow of a jet or plane," Hossein wrote. "Sometimes I pretend to the family that I didn't hear a sound or attribute it to something else."

Hossein is constantly trying to get in touch with friends in other parts of the country that have been bombed much harder, including Tehran, Tabriz, and the port of Bandar Abbas. "My friend in Bandar Abbas is especially distraught due to the constant bombing of the south by the U.S.; my friend in Tehran doesn't really have options to leave given that she has two pets that make things hard," he tells Reason via text.

On Saturday, the Israeli air force bombed fuel depots in Tehran, blanketing the city with smoke and oil. Authorities have warned residents to stay inside for fear of toxic fallout and acid........

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