“Suffocated and frustrated”: Tehran residents describe life under bombardment

2026-03-16 - 13:14

Iranians are feeling intense strain from the US and Israeli assault on their country, with some Tehran citizens telling CNN they are living in both fear and despair. “These past few days have felt really hopeless. I feel like we are living in devastation and the future looks bleak,” a 32-year-old resident of Iran’s capital told CNN Monday. “I feel suffocated and frustrated at the same time.” All those who spoke to CNN asked for their names not to be used due to security concerns, as the war enters its third week. The resident said that every night, “they hit harder, and harder” leaving Iranians feeling increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. Another male citizen, 44, said that while “people are dying,” some parts of life are resuming as normal. “You have to continue living your life, you know? We can’t just stay home worrying,” he added. A 30-year-old woman in Tehran said the past few nights had been “terrifying.” “You can hear the sound of bombs from all over the city, no matter where you are,” she told CNN, adding that while some people welcome the conflict, particularly those in the diaspora, she does not. “I think this war has from the start been an absolute folly and a mistake. We now are living under constant bombardment and it just is not worth this,” she said.