Angry and afraid, Iranians brace for more Israeli attacks

Iranians reacted to Israeli strikes with anger and fear on Friday, with some urging retaliation while others worried the conflict would spell more hardship for a nation worn down by crises.

With Tehran and other cities shaken by a night of Israeli airstrikes, some said they planned to leave for neighbouring Turkey, bracing for escalation after Israel signalled its operation would continue "for as many days as it takes".

"I woke up to deafening explosion. People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified," said Marziyeh, 39, from the city of Natanz, which is home to one of Iran's nuclear sites and where explosions were reported.

"I am deeply worried about my children's safety if this situation escalates," said Marziyeh, one of 20 people Reuters contacted in Iran for this article.

Israel said it had attacked nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders in the operation it said aimed to prevent Tehran from building an atomic bomb. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes.

In an initial wave of panic, some Iranians rushed to banks to withdraw cash on Friday morning.

Masoud Mousavi, 51, a retired bank employee said he waited for the exchange offices to open, "so I can buy Turkish Lira and take my family there by land since airspace is closed".

"I am against any war. Any strike that kills innocent people. I will stay in Turkey with my family until this situation is over," he said from Shiraz city.

Iranians have become accustomed to turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ousted the US-backed Shah and brought the clerical establishment to power, from the 1980s war with Iraq, to heavy crack-downs on anti-government protests and years of biting Western sanctions.

Some opponents of Iran's ruling clerics expressed hope that Israel's attack might lead to their downfall, though one Tehran resident said he supported Iranian retaliation, even though he was not a supporter of the Islamic Republic.

"We can’t afford not to respond. Either we surrender and they take our missiles, or we fire them. There's no other option — and if we don’t, we’ll end up surrendering them anyway,” he said, seething with anger at Israel's attacks.

'I WILL FIGHT AND DIE'

Two money changers in Tehran said they were busier than usual, as people rushed to buy foreign currency following the attack. But one of them said people were not too panicked.

"We have been through so much already. I don't support Israel's attack and I understand that Iran's leaders feel the need to retaliate," said retired teacher Fariba Besharati, 64, who lives with her children and two grandchildren in Tabriz.

"But what about us? Haven't we endured enough suffering?"

Many Iranians still believe in Iran's right to a civilian nuclear programme, but some said it was now costing the country too much.

"The price we are paying is too high. And now, a military attack, no I don't want more misery," said Mohammadreza, 29, a teacher in the northern city of Chalus.

Economic hardship and political and social restrictions have fuelled protests against the clerical rulers in recent years, notably in 2022, when a young woman died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly flouting conservative dress codes.

Witnesses in several cities, including Tehran, said that plainclothes agents and police forces had deployed in the streets on Friday.

Iran's rulers are facing myriad other crises, from energy and water shortages, to a collapsing currency and growing public anger over economic hardships, caused largely by US sanctions over its nuclear programme and economic mismanagement.

But the clerical leadership still has a tight grip on the country, underpinned by loyal security forces.

Ali, whose father was killed during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, said he was ready to sacrifice his life for the Islamic Republic.

"I am a member of (volunteer militia) Basij. I will fight and die for our right to a nuclear programme. Israel and its ally America cannot take it away from us with these attacks," he said from the holy city of Qom by phone.