"A Sense of Despair": Many Iranians Fear a Prolonged War — and What Comes After

Many Iranians feel trapped between the brutality of their own government and the destructive impact of external war. They cannot align with either side, leading to a profound sense of isolation and despair. This challenges the binary choice often presented by external observers.

Professor Sarabi notes, 'a lot of people have been trying to understand and express what it means to be neither of these two things in a society and in a world in which is very very polarized.' She adds, 'There's a sense of isolation that is developing among that segment of the population. A sense of withdrawal.'

Even supposedly precise military strikes have widespread civilian impacts that go beyond direct targets. Shockwaves from bombings cause extensive damage to surrounding neighborhoods, disrupting everyday life and creating unexpected shortages.

Sarabi provides the example of a 'glass shortage in Tehran' where 'shock waves are going through the neighborhood and pulling down a wall or shattering constantly glasses,' leaving people in 'half destroyed homes trying to protect their properties.'

The onset and continuation of war, regardless of its stated objectives, effectively halts any potential for organized political protest or meaningful change from within. Civilian populations shift entirely to survival mode, making political action a secondary concern.

Professor Ahmedi Orion states, 'as soon as the bombs start to fall, people's survival instinct kick in. They look for shelter, they look for water and food. They want to protect their family, especially their kids.' He concludes that the expectation for people to 'organize a political movement... is a fantasy.'

For many in the diaspora, the experience of war transforms their relationship with their homeland from one of a 'parent' (fatherland/motherland) to a 'fragile child' that needs protection from external forces, intensifying feelings of vulnerability and responsibility.

Ahmedi Orion describes a 'switch in my head' where Iran 'didn't look like a parent anymore... but a child that needs some sort of a protection.' This feeling intensified after various conflicts, including the '12-day war' and the January massacre.