Field Report; Joy or Fear Among the People of Iran Over the Start of War with Israel?

Following the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' missile attack on Israel on October 1, a significant portion of Iranian society is now worried about the outbreak of war. Previously, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that he has no enmity with the Iranian people and that his target is the Islamic Republic regime. However, after the missile attack on Israel, the country announced it would respond, and the IRGC warned that Iran's next action would be heavier. What follows is a report on the sentiments of citizens across Iran who spent the evening of October 1 mostly in fear and anxiety, while some expressed joy. To protect the identities of those who spoke to Radio Farda, their names have been anonymized. Celebration and Joy, Fear and Anxiety On Tuesday night, the skies over various cities witnessed lights that were quickly identified as missiles from the IRGC heading towards Israel. Behrouz, who lives in northern Tehran, told Radio Farda that his house shook significantly during the attack, and he thought Tehran was being attacked. After this attack, groups of Islamic Republic supporters gathered in various cities at certain squares, chanting slogans like 'I am Haydari, I love Seyyed Ali' in celebration. Abbas, in Tehran, was among those who went to the University of Tehran and told Radio Farda that this attack was 'a sign of Iran's power and authority and a delayed revenge that should have happened sooner; otherwise, Israel would not have dared to kill Seyyed Nasrallah and the dealers.' Majid, a nurse at a hospital in Abhar, said that when Iran's attacks on Israel began, he and some of his colleagues distributed sweets in the hospital. However, Naghmeh, who lives in Tehran, told Radio Farda: 'We have been living in a state of fear and stress for months. But I think Tuesday night was the worst of all, as Israel has made serious threats about attacking. Now we are looking at the sky in Tehran, waiting for when the attack will come. Days of anxiety have just begun.' Ghazal considers this attack a rightful revenge for Iran. She told Radio Farda: 'Israel will retreat from this attack and will no longer dare to assault.' The day after the attack, the American website Axios reported, citing Israeli officials, that Israel would provide a 'significant response' to Iran's missile attack in the coming days, and some analysts say Israel's counteraction will be much broader. Mr. Naim, a resident of Karaj, told Radio Farda: 'It seems both sides have attacked each other, and after this bravado on social media, it will continue, or Iran will respond with assassinations. It is unlikely that a war will occur, although nothing is predictable.' For several years, whenever an incident occurs, people in Iran line up at gas stations. Ms. Parastoo, a pseudonym for a journalist in Tehran, told Radio Farda that long lines formed in front of gas stations, and besides that, some people also headed to pharmacies to buy certain items, while others went to stores to purchase surplus food. The whispers of war seem more serious this time for the people. A gas station in Tehran after the missile attack on Israel. Several people who spoke to Radio Farda said they could not sleep all night, waiting for an attack and Israel's response. The market also reacted quickly to these attacks, and the dollar price surged in the early hours of Wednesday before exchange offices officially began operations. Some people believe that this attack was also pre-announced and was merely a maneuver to satisfy the hardliners of the regime and their supporters in Iran and the region. Mr. Behrad says this time it was also a pre-determined game that both sides were aware of. However, his wife does not share this belief and is entirely concerned about an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, which she says would be catastrophic. This concern is echoed by Ms. Maryam in Isfahan, who believes that if war occurs as the hardliners in Iran wish, ordinary people will pay the highest price, as officials and their children live comfortably while the public is in fear. Maryam also mentioned witnessing missiles heading towards Israel and experiencing nervous tension. The IRGC's missile attack, compared to the missile and drone attack in April of this year, was heavier in volume, but some believe that nothing more significant is expected to happen. After Tuesday night's attack, Netanyahu announced that Iran would pay a price. Consequently, media in Iran informed their reporters that due to the possibility of an Israeli response, they should be prepared to change front pages and send news updates. Although this has not been communicated to the public, they are waiting for Israel's response, and some citizens are worried and anxious. Hanieh, who traveled for work to one of the southern cities, told Radio Farda that given Israel's threats, she does not dare to board a plane and wants to return to Tehran by land, albeit with more fear and anxiety. Reza, another citizen who splits his life between Tehran and Germany, had a business appointment scheduled for Thursday that had been set months in advance, but with the new events, he says he has lost a significant contract due to flight disruptions. Nargess, who had traveled to Turkey for a week of rest, was supposed to return to Tehran early Thursday, but her flight has been suspended until Thursday morning, though it has not been confirmed yet. She told Radio Farda: 'Now, aside from the anxiety about the situation in Iran and the calamity that is about to befall us, we have to wander in Istanbul.' These flight disruptions have occurred several times over the past year, forcing some travelers whose destinations were abroad to choose alternative routes. Mr. Alireza is among those who take the risk of war very seriously and told Radio Farda: 'It seems that this time a serious war is on the way. I plan to sell my house and land as soon as possible and migrate to the first foreign destination.' Ms. Fereshteh from Ahvaz is surprised by the joy of some groups in society over this attack. Having lost her home and several family members during the Iran-Iraq war, she told Radio Farda: 'They have no understanding of war and its consequences. We are about to be displaced once again.' Given her experience of war, Fereshteh is planning to arrange online sessions with various consultants, including child psychologists, to educate on how to protect children from news of war. She told Radio Farda: 'We will probably enter a cyber war from today, and families will want to discuss this regularly; in this, children will suffer the most and become severely insecure.' Pouyan, Gorshasb, and Mehrad, all from Shiraz and graduates from last year, find the start of war exciting, as they hope it will be the end of the Islamic Republic. In contrast, Mohammad Mehdi and Sobhan believe this behavior shows Iran's bravery and that Israel will not respond to these attacks, and no war will start. They are only 22 years old.