Iranians share what it's like inside the country after U.S.-Israeli strikes

+ Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music The Best Music of 2025 All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop The Best Music of 2025 All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Iranians share what it's like inside the country after U.S.-Israeli strikes People in Iran describe what it's like inside the country after the killing of the country's supreme leader and amid continued airstrikes from the U.S.

+ World Iranians share what it's like inside the country after U.S.-Israeli strikes March 2, 20264:40 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition Arezou Rezvani Iranians share what it's like inside the country after U.S.-Israeli strikes Listen &middot; 2:29 2:29 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5730363/nx-s1-9669394" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript People in Iran describe what it's like inside the country after the killing of the country's supreme leader and amid continued airstrikes from the U.S. and Israel. Sponsor Message A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: The airstrikes on Iran came at the start of the work week for Iranians. NPR's Arezou Rezvani has been exchanging messages with people inside the country since the first bombs dropped. Now, everyone you're going to hear from asked we don't identify them for fear of government retribution. She brings us voices from Tehran.

+ AREZOU REZVANI, BYLINE: A 30-something-year-old engineer was settling into work Saturday morning when he heard the first boom. UNIDENTIFIED ENGINEER: We even saw one of the explosions from our office window around downtown Tehran. REZVANI: He scrambled to get home. U.S. and Israeli airstrikes pounded Tehran the rest of the day and well into the night. UNIDENTIFIED ENGINEER: We were going to sleep, and suddenly we heard cheers from our neighbors. And to be honest with you, the moment I heard the cheers, I knew what had happened. REZVANI: Israel had killed Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Among those overcome with joy was a 22-year-old university student. She requested we distort her voice. Unsure how this war will go, she's still fearful of government reprisals. UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: (Through voice distorter, non-English language spoken). REZVANI: "They killed him. They finally killed him," she says through tears, then switches to English. UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: (Through voice distorter) I'm very happy. I'm excited. Oh, my God, I'm shaking. REZVANI: As news of Khamenei's killing spread, people raced to rooftops and balconies, their celebrations spreading across the country and social media. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #1: (Cheering). REZVANI: But by Sunday morning, a different crowd also emerged. Videos posted on state-run media showed large crowds gathering in public squares across the country, mourning their fallen leader. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #2: (Chanting in non-English language). REZVANI: For others, like Saam (ph), a university student, the feelings are more complicated. SAAM: (Through interpreter) On the one hand, I'm really happy. A dictator, a criminal has been killed. On the other hand, I'm upset. We Iranians, we were robbed of an opportunity to take Khamenei to court and hold him accountable. REZVANI: On top of that, Saam's family, like many families in Iran, is politically divided. His parents support the government and are mourning the death of the supreme leader. From tears to cheers, Saam is troubled by the extreme emotions this war has elicited and worries it could be the first glimpse of divisive and bloody days to come. Arezou Rezvani, NPR News. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{1167:function(e,n,c){e.exports=c(323)},323:function(e,n,c){"use strict";c.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([c.e(1),c.e(2),c.e(3),c.e(4),c.e(84)]).then(function(e){c(3),c(1140),c(116),c(94),c(52),c(493),c(239),c(102),c(104),c(1141),c(143),c(1142),c(238),c(48),c(1143)}.bind(null,c)).catch(c.oe)}},[[1167,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();