Residents of Iran expressed gratitude this week to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump for assassinating Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, but expressed worries over where the ongoing US-Israeli bombing campaign on their country will lead, in testimonies shared with The Times of Israel.

“We kiss the hands of Mr. Trump and Netanyahu. Thank you to them. People really became happy,” declared Hassan, a man in his 40s from northern Iran’s Shahrud, in a voice recording sent to The Times of Israel via an anti-regime activist.

Iranian dissidents had pleaded for US and Israeli military intervention in January when the regime launched a brutal crackdown on protests, killing tens of thousands who had gone into the streets to demonstrate, according to some accounts.

On Saturday, Israeli planes bombed Khamenei, killing him and other top leaders, and Netanyahu and Trump have urged Iranians to rise up against the Islamic regime. But Iranian authorities appear to still be in control, anti-regime crowds are sheltering from intense air strikes and the future of the country remains deeply uncertain.

Little news has come out of Iran since the offensive began, making it difficult to gauge Iranian reactions beyond official regime statements. However, four residents of Iran were able to provide written and recorded responses to a series of questions from The Times of Israel.

The questions were sent to them by Gio Esfandeyari, a British-Iranian anti-regime activist and board member of NGO Lotus Advocacy, who then forwarded their Farsi-language replies to The Times of Israel. Their accounts and identities — referred to here with pseudonyms — could not be independently verified.

Nonetheless, they potentially offer a rare glimpse into how some Iranian civilians have experienced the ongoing operation.

While verifying events and broader public opinion in Iran remains difficult due to internet blackouts and limited engagement with outside media, respondents described jubilation at Khamenei’s death, widely documented elsewhere, alongside anxiety over the continuing bombardment, and hope that the strikes could ultimately bring down the regime for good.

“When we found out that this bastard had gone to hell, we poured into the streets,” Hassan said of open celebrations that broke out in some areas of Iran when the regime announced that Khamenei had been killed. “From Shahrbani Street to Azadi Square in Shahrud — people were celebrating and dancing.”

Ahmad, a Tehran resident in his 30s, described similar scenes in the capital: “That same night, when this filthy animal went to hell, that’s when people poured into the streets… everyone had come out. It was dancing, celebration and cheering. Thanks to Mr. Trump and Netanyahu. Bless them. Good for them.”

Earlier this year, a Tehran resident told The Times of Israel that Iranians who participated in January’s widespread anti-regime protests were hoping the US and Israel would come to their aid by launching military action to assist in overthrowing the Islamic Republic.

The resident’s remarks came as the demonstrations halted under a brutal crackdown that saw thousands massacred by regime forces — a development which Israel’s defense minister said accelerated US-Israeli attack plans.

While it would appear that those who hoped for foreign military intervention had their wish granted, this week’s respondents noted that the exciting prospect of regime change coincided with the frightening reality of being under constant bombardment.

While Israel and the US say they are targeting military sites and regime infrastructure, the powerful blasts have been known to harm civilians as well. On Thursday, US officials told Reuters that American bombs had likely accidentally bombed a school in southern Iran, an incident that left 175 people dead, according to Iranian authorities.

Hassan described hearing multiple strikes near where he lives in Shahrud, including on an ammunition depot. “It was quite far away,” he added, claiming that “No civilian people were hurt.”

Zahra, a resident of northern Tehran, said she “regularly” hears explosions, and that “almost everything is shut down” in the city. Many residents “are worried” about the situation and are trying to remain safe, “but they support it,” she added, referring to the operation.

“We hope for victory,” she said, while asking the world to “Keep an eye on us. Take care of us.”

Saeed, a 23-year-old from Tehran, recalled overhearing strikes in Iran’s Evin neighborhood — home to the notorious Evin Prison, where the regime is known to house political prisoners and which was struck by Israel in its June aerial campaign against Iran.

Saeed said that “The worry about war is much less than in the previous one,” referring to the June campaign, which the US eventually joined.

“People are mentally much more prepared,” he said.

Casualty figures from the ongoing campaign remain difficult to verify. Iranian authorities have reported several hundred deaths, without distinguishing between civilians, soldiers, and regime personnel.

Some human rights groups have said over 1,100 civilians have been killed since the war began. An Israeli Air Force officer has said Israeli strikes in Iran have killed thousands of Iranian soldiers.

Daily life has been severely disrupted in Tehran, residents of the city told the BBC this week, saying that shops are closed, streets are largely empty, food prices have surged, and Iranian authorities have increased security presence with checkpoints across the capital and warnings against protests.

No matter the joy at seeing Khamenei’s downfall, the regime’s future appeared dauntingly unclear for the four respondents.

Washington and Jerusalem have both asserted that the operation aims to “create the conditions” for regime change. Still, neither has publicized any concrete plans for ushering in a new leader or ruling body, even as they encourage Iranians to “take to the streets” and take the country. Iranian authorities have meanwhile announced a temporary leadership arrangement while their clerical establishment moves to select a permanent successor.

Saeed said he had “no information” on any civilians planning organized efforts to overthrow the regime or contribute to such a process, and said daily life felt highly restricted.

“It feels like we’re living a ‘corona-style’ life again,” he said, referring to the global pandemic, which kept much of the world’s population inside their homes.

Hassan, a member of Iran’s monarchist camp, said he was pushing for the return of the son of the last Iranian shah, Reza Pahlavi.

Pahlavi has positioned himself as an alternative ruler if the Islamic Republic falls, but has not lived in Iran since 1978, and it’s uncertain how much support he has inside the country.

“That heavy grief that was on our hearts was somehow lifted [with Khamenei’s demise], and we hope that in the final stage, our Shah will come to Iran and that day we will hold a great celebration of freedom,” Hassan said.

He said he already felt that “the filthy Islamic Republic regime has collapsed,” adding, “You Iranians abroad should know that you will return to your homeland very soon.”

Describing his hopes for the future, Saeed said, “I expect that people will be able to truly feel the taste of living again. To feel the simple, everyday things. To be able to think about their dreams. To use the potential and talents we have in our own country.”

“I expect the country to see the best version of itself in every way: culturally, educationally, in terms of security, economy, healthcare, and so on. This country can absolutely grow, if given the chance.”

He thanked “every person who made an effort from outside Iran” to advocate for or act on behalf of the Iranian people.

“I want to say finally that the place of every person who was killed feels very empty today,” he said, referring to all of the civilians killed under the regime.

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