{"id":3956,"date":"2025-06-20T19:15:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T19:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/developeternal.com\/?p=3956"},"modified":"2025-06-20T20:29:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T20:29:19","slug":"nowhere-feels-safe-voices-from-jerusalem-and-tehran-under-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/developeternal.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/20\/nowhere-feels-safe-voices-from-jerusalem-and-tehran-under-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Nowhere feels safe\u2019: Voices from Jerusalem and Tehran under fire"},"content":{"rendered":"
From locked shelters to sleepless nights, Israelis and Iranians describe the fear, disbelief, and strange routines of life under fire<\/strong><\/p>\n The conflict between Israel and Iran is slowly but steadily morphing into a full-scale war \u2013 one where drones give way to ballistic missiles, military targets are replaced by homes and offices, and threats of mass bloodshed drown out any hopes for negotiation. While Israeli civilians have long grown used to sirens and shelters, the recent escalation came just as abruptly for them as it did for Iranians. No one was ready.<\/p>\n RT spoke with residents of Jerusalem and Tehran \u2013 two cities at the heart of a decades-long standoff that had remained largely bloodless, until now. They shared what it\u2019s like to live through the airstrikes, flee their homes, and face a grim new reality no one asked for \u2013 one that may not be going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n RT:\u00a0How did you survive the first day of attacks?<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Leila, Jerusalem (name changed)<\/strong>:\u00a0Friday began at 3 AM. First, I heard a city-wide siren, which usually sounds during attacks from Yemen. Then \u2013 a terrifying alert, not from some app, but directly from the phone\u2019s built-in emergency system. It usually warns of earthquakes, tsunamis, or other disasters. It screams horrifically\u2026<\/p>\n \u26a0\ufe0f\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05e2\u05e7\u05d5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05d3 \u05e2\u05d3\u05db\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd\u26a0\ufe0f \u05de\u05e2\u05db\u05e9\u05d9\u05d5, \u05ea\u05e7\u05d1\u05dc\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e0\u05d9\u05d9\u05d3 “\u05de\u05e1\u05e8 \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9” \u05d1\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2 \u05d7\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05e0\u05e8\u05d7\u05d1 – \u05d0\u05d5\u05d8\u05d5\u05de\u05d8\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05d7\u05e8\u05d9 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05dc \u05e6\u05d9\u05e4\u05d9\u05d9\u05d4, \u05e4\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05d3 \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05e3 \u05e1\u05d5\u05e3 \u05e1\u05d5\u05e3 \u05de\u05d9\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8 \u05e7\u05d5 \u05e2\u05dd \u05de\u05d3\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05e8\u05d1\u05d5\u05ea \u05d1\u05e8\u05d7\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd \u05d5\u05d4\u05d5\u05d3\u05d9\u05e2 \u05d4\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd (\u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\u05d5\u05df) \u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05e9\u05e7\u05ea “\u05de\u05e1\u05e8 \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9” – \u05de\u05e2\u05e8\u05db\u05ea \u05d4\u05ea\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4 “\u05e9\u05d9\u05d3\u05d5\u05e8 \u05ea\u05d0\u05d9” \u05e9\u05ea\u05e9\u05dc\u05d7 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d3\u05e2\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e9\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05dc\u05d8\u05dc\u05e4\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e1\u05dc\u05d5\u05dc\u05e8\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9 \u05d7\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05e8\u05d7\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d9\u05e7\u05e3, \u05db\u05de\u05d5 \u05de\u05d8\u05d7\u05d9 \u05d8\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd. \u05d1\u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05e2\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d8\u05db\u05e0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d9\u05d4, \u05d4\u05d5\u05d3\u05e2\u05ea \u05d7\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05ea\u05d5\u05e4\u05d9\u05e2 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d2\u05d1\u05d9 \u05de\u05e1\u05da \u05d4\u05d8\u05dc\u05e4\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05dc\u05d9 \u05e9\u05d5\u05dd \u05e6\u05d5\u05e8\u05da \u05d1\u05e4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05d4 \u05de\u05e6\u05d3 \u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05ea\u05de\u05e9, \u05d5\u05ea\u05dc\u05d5\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e6\u05dc\u05d9\u05dc \u05d4\u05ea\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4 \u05d9\u05d9\u05d7\u05d5\u05d3\u05d9. \u05d7\u05e9\u05d5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05e6\u05d9\u05d9\u05df \u05e9\u05d4\u05de\u05e2\u05e8\u05db\u05ea \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05d7\u05dc\u05d9\u05e3 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d9\u05d9\u05e9\u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05df \u05e4\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05d3 \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05e3 \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e6\u05d5\u05e4\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05d4\u05d5\u05d5\u05d4 \u05e0\u05d3\u05d1\u05da \u05e0\u05d5\u05e1\u05e3 \u05d1\u05de\u05e2\u05e8\u05da \u05d4\u05d4\u05ea\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4. \u05e9\u05d9\u05d1\u05d5\u05e9\u05d9 \u05d4\u05de\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05dd \u05d1\u05e8\u05d7\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d0\u05e8\u05e5 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e6\u05e4\u05d5\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d4\u05e9\u05e4\u05d9\u05e2 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05de\u05d9\u05e7\u05d5\u05dd \u05e9\u05dc \u05d4\u05de\u05db\u05e9\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d6\u05d4.<\/p>\n \u266c original sound – Inon Ben Shushan<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n In many parts of Israel, such alerts are unusual. In Jerusalem, for example, sirens hadn\u2019t sounded like that in years \u2013 until October 7, when rockets came directly from Gaza.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit \u2013 after hearing the siren for the first time, I am now scared of everything: the wind howling, the oven timer, my alarm clock. I start shaking all over when I hear those.<\/p>\n We were told to go to a [bomb] shelter as quickly as possible and follow instructions from the Home Front Command (a branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responsible for civil defense \u2014 RT<\/em>).<\/p>\n Everyone was running, terrified, asking what was happening. Everyone woke up. Usually, when there\u2019s a citywide siren, no one runs [to shelter] \u2013 mostly it\u2019s just one missile from the Houthis, intercepted in the desert or outside Israel.<\/p>\n Normally, the Home Front Command states what\u2019s coming and from where \u2013 drone? Missile? UAV? \u2013 but this time, nothing. Nothing in the official Israeli news either, so I opened Al Jazeera\u2019s livestream \u2013 and saw Tehran being bombed.<\/p>\n So many questions popped up: \u201cAre they bombing because something came from Tehran? Or are we being attacked too?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n When we realized we weren\u2019t in danger, we went back home. Once we got there, we found out that Israel struck first \u2013 but there had been no retaliation yet. Israel declared martial law: schools and unis canceled, work too\u2026 public transport barely functions.<\/p>\n We spent the entire Friday waiting for more attacks \u2013 and they did began at night. The shelling was massive. Fortunately, the alert system works quite well: phones emit that creepy siren, and alerts show which neighborhoods are in danger. Then, 90 seconds before impact, another siren sounds \u2013 so loud it can be heard not only in the nearest neighborhood, but in a nearby city.<\/p>\n \n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Javad, Tehran (name changed):\u00a0<\/strong>On Friday, around 3 AM, there were incredibly loud bangs \u2013 Israel started targeting all top commanders, high-ranking officers, nuclear physicists\u2026 It continued until 6 or 7 in the morning. From what I understood, they used drones, launched from inside Iran.<\/p>\n Over these past few days, we\u2019ve gotten used to it \u2013 living, sleeping, walking around during this. It\u2019s no longer as terrifying as it was at first. So when the shelling starts, people usually just stand and film \u2013 no one runs.<\/p>\n Casualties are high \u2013 mainly because missiles [Israel is] hitting residential buildings. On the streets, few people are getting hurt.<\/p>\n Saeed, Tehran:\u00a0<\/strong>I remember that night clearly, exams were coming soon. I was asleep, but my friend was at the library studying \u2014 he called me and woke me up. It was almost 3 am. He said, \u2018Saeed, wake up. Israel has attacked.\u2019<\/p>\n Earlier I had felt the windows shaking, but I told myself, \u2018It\u2019s probably just a dream.\u2019<\/p>\n During the Israeli missile attacks on Tehran, the public response has been a mix of fear, shock, solidarity, and survival efforts. When the sound of explosions broke the night\u2019s silence, many people, half-asleep and terrified, rushed into the streets and alleys. Windows shattered, homes trembled, and flames blazed through the night sky.<\/p>\n In some areas, people responded from their rooftops with cries of \u201cTakbir\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Allahu Akbar \u2013 RT)<\/em>, expressing a form of religious and national solidarity.<\/p>\n In areas where air defense systems successfully intercepted the missiles, people were grateful to the armed forces, \u2018cause they could resume their daily lives. Those people thought of the [Israeli] attacks more as a show of force.\u00a0<\/p>\n But in areas that suffered direct damage, people were full of fear, confusion, and sorrow. Some people, tears in their eyes, were saying: \u201cWe are just ordinary people. We have no weapons, no shelters. All we can do is pray.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RT:<\/strong> Can you hide somewhere?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Leila, Jerusalem: <\/strong>You can\u2019t really hide. Rockets directly hit buildings now, it\u2019s not shrapnel like it used to be. They\u2019re almost impossible to intercept. Casualties are mounting.<\/p>\n I have to explain what the shelters are that we have here, in Israel. There is \u201cmerkhav mugan eini\u201d<\/em>, or an improvised protected space. These are stairwell corners without windows \u2013 technically they can be shelters, Though now they\u2019re only used as a last resort.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are also \u201cMamad\u201d<\/em> rooms with built-in thick doors and sealable windows. The Home Front Command says they\u2019re 100% safe \u2013 safer than kitchens or stairwells. But\u2026 in a recent attack, a missile hit a \u201cmamad\u201d<\/em> and killed everyone inside.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s \u201cmiklad\u201d<\/em>, an underground shelter usually located under buildings. They seem the safest since missiles usually strike the upper floors or hit somewhere in the middle but\u2026 what happens if the whole building collapses?<\/p>\n Some large underground shelters exist \u2013 but they\u2019re rare and far.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hard part is \u2013 there aren\u2019t shelters on every corner here. Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other cities near Gaza \u2013 they all have shelters in almost every building. But here in Jerusalem\u2026 there were different threats in the past (meaning terrorist attacks \u2013 RT), so there are fewer shelters.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re caught in the street in the middle of a shelling \u2013 there\u2019s nowhere to hide. If you\u2019re in a park \u2013 there\u2019s nowhere to go.<\/p>\n I had to leave my house because we have no shelter nearby. There used to be one across the street, but someone locked it using a bike lock… The other shelter is quite far away. Now I don\u2019t know what other people do: like my neighbor\u2019s husband, who\u2019s in a wheelchair.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A year ago, nothing hit homes. Now it\u2019s aimed at densely populated areas. Rockets keep coming from Gaza, from the Houthis, and now from Iran.<\/p>\n So far, Jerusalem has been spared, probably \u2018cause it doesn\u2019t house critical military targets. But there\u2019s the Knesset. Once military sites are exhausted, they might turn to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Saeed, Tehran:\u00a0<\/strong>In Tehran, given the history of the Iran-Iraq war and the potential for missile strikes, certain places have been designated as emergency shelters. For example, those are Park-e Shahr underground shelter, one of the largest in central Tehran.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s a Azadi sports complex equipped with reinforced underground sections usable in emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are also shelters in the Narmak area, the remnants from the Iran-Iraq war. And there are old sturdy passageways in Tehran Bazaar basements.\u00a0<\/p>\n Visuals from Tehran in Iran after fresh Israeli airstrikes today. Debris are being searched for survivors. pic.twitter.com\/xeju2mlfme<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 \u0915\u0932\u094d\u092a\u0928\u093e \u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940\u0935\u093e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0935 \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 (@Lawyer_Kalpana) June 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n RT: How has day-to-day life changed?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Leila, Jerusalem:<\/strong> There is a certain routinization of shelling, which is terrifying, yes \u2013 but people seem trained. They know what to do. The routine actually helps us fight fear. For example, on Saturday, I passed through a park \u2013 people were barbecuing, playing football\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n [During the bombing,] you could instantly tell who was Israeli and who wasn\u2019t. Even in shelters, Israelis show their nails done and just gossip. The immigrants are panicking, gasping for air.\u00a0<\/p>\n People even go out [during attacks] \u2013 dressed in white, casually walking. Some don\u2019t hide at all \u2013 they don\u2019t trust the government or believe God will protect them. Many Arabs don\u2019t seek shelter either. Though to be fair, in the West Bank, there are almost no shelters anyway.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s right. Sometimes I wonder, \u201cIf the siren sounds, and I\u2019m on the highway, where will I go?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nThe day it all changed<\/h2>\n
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\n \u00a9\u00a0 social media <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \u00a9\u00a0 Majid Saeedi \/ Getty Images <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShelters guide: from Israel to Iran<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n \u00a9\u00a0 social media <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
Routine of war in Israel \u2013 and the novelty of it in Iran<\/strong><\/h2>\n