Iran's March Battles: Black Rain Falls on "Nowruz Festival"

Pengpai News Reporter Chen Qinhang

Dead birds lie on the street like withered leaves. As Farhad drives by, he silently prays. On the empty road, he brakes at checkpoint after checkpoint, while missiles fly overhead without obstruction. In March, Iran welcomes its new year.

“Tehran, shrouded in war, resembles a doomsday city; the silence is terrifying beyond the loud noises, and people harbor complex emotions within.” As a Tehran resident who has made a living through photography for over a decade, Farhad carefully observes the scene before him. Apart from the enormous portrait of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei still hanging, everything else has become increasingly unfamiliar.

Born in the late 1980s, Farhad came of age during a pivotal time in Iranian history, as the eight-year Iran-Iraq War came to an end, and the Supreme Leader Khomeini had just passed away, with Khamenei chosen as his successor. Farhad grew up alongside post-war Iran, graduating from university and working in photography, supplying images to foreign media. After the outbreak of war, his work, family, and beliefs all changed.

Farhad tells Pengpai News that now it feels like living in a “black box.” Internet access is expensive and unstable, and he shares fragmented information with those around him, trying to piece together some facts, but most efforts are in vain as explosions echo faintly and then loudly. Some who may have felt excitement are now overwhelmed by fear and confusion.

Mina does not belong to those whom Farhad describes as having emotional fluctuations. Living in Qom, a Shiite holy city, she has been engulfed in anger towards foreign enemies and love for her country since witnessing plumes of gray smoke rising above the expert conference building. “The regime will persist, and Iranians will fight to the last drop of blood,” the obstetric clinic midwife tells Pengpai News. Despite differing opinions, the war has united everyone. “Iran will be the ultimate victor.”

One month into the war, Iran continues to retaliate, launching missiles at Israel and the Gulf allies of the United States, effectively controlling navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the regime has not fallen. Public opinion generally believes the war has drifted away from U.S. expectations, and analysts are assessing to what extent the conflict will give rise to the idea of a “New Middle East” becoming a mirage.

“When media talks about Iran, it sounds like a video game or a chess piece on a board, with geopolitical interests, energy prices, and who gains strength and who is weakened in geopolitics… There is little focus on the nearly 100 million people who truly live there,” Sahar Razavi, an associate professor of Iranian and Middle Eastern studies at California State University, tells Pengpai News. She also has family in Iran and hopes people view the country from a longer historical perspective, paying more attention to the voices and wishes of the Iranian people.

Roars, screams, cries, and arguments

February 28 was a Saturday, the first day of the Iranian work week. After dropping his child off at school, Farhad went to the city center to take care of business when suddenly two loud explosions shook the ground. Instinctively, he ran outside with the crowd. The screams of women, the roar of fighter jets, and indistinct shouts mixed together, but there were no air raid sirens, leaving him puzzled amid the panic.

“I was very anxious to go pick up my child from school.” Farhad barely made it to the street with the crowd, where cars were stuck in traffic, with an ambulance caught in the middle and its blaring sirens echoing. He tried to contact his family, but the calls wouldn’t go through, so he could only leave messages on communication apps. A prayer time notification and an adhan reminder suddenly popped up on his phone—“Reinforcements have arrived!”—accompanied by several incendiary messages targeting Iranian security forces.

That morning, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced a “preemptive” strike against Iran. Thick smoke billowed in downtown Tehran, and targets such as the presidential office, the Supreme National Security Council building, and the Supreme Leader’s office were struck. The road leading to Khamenei’s office was immediately blocked.

In Tehran, people held funerals for the victims of the conflict between Iran and Israel and the United States at Behesht Zahra Cemetery in southern Tehran. Since February 28, 2026, joint military operations by Israel and the United States have continuously targeted multiple locations within Iran. Visual China photo

Before long, explosions were reported in Isfahan, Qom, Lorestan, and other places. Mina, who was working at the clinic, was startled and looked out the window to see thick smoke rising in the distance. She said she remained relatively calm because she knew that civilian facilities like hospitals and residences should not be bombing targets, a lesson learned from last year’s “12-Day War” between Iran and Israel.

At that time, Mina did not realize that this war was starkly different from the last. According to data from the Iranian Red Crescent and other organizations and media as of March 27, the U.S. and Israel have attacked over 87,000 Iranian civilian facilities. Among them, 281 medical institutions and 498 educational facilities have been directly or indirectly targeted. Meanwhile, in Iran’s retaliation, various Gulf countries’ civilian facilities were also attacked.

Mina recalled the initial loud explosions, with some pregnant women getting frightened, some experiencing high blood pressure, tinnitus, and headaches, while newborns cried incessantly, leading mothers to cry as well. She and her colleagues repeatedly checked on each bed to comfort the mothers. “That day, the cries filled the ward, and I was so busy that I didn’t eat until I got home at night and hugged my son and husband, when I couldn’t help but cry.”

At a private clinic named “Mother,” a pregnant woman nearing delivery was present, and the medical staff decided to continue operating the hospital while closely monitoring the strikes. They firmly believed, “The child will bring good luck.” Iranian television broadcast news on February 28, stating that Iran was preparing for “devastating retaliation” against Israel. Mina said such words made people feel confident, “Resistance is our essence.”

Dr. Kevin Harris, a postdoctoral researcher in Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, told Pengpai News that although Iranians have lower support for some political figures, they often exhibit strong nationalism when it comes to national territorial defense and self-defense capabilities. After the “12-Day War” in June 2025, a certain level of change can be observed, which can be interpreted as a “rally-around-the-flag effect.”

In the early hours of March 1, rumors began circulating in Tehran about the Supreme Leader’s assassination, and Farhad was skeptical. He hurried to Revolution Square for a photo assignment, where he saw some cheering, others mourning, and some angrily cursing, “Death to Israel.”

On the way home, Farhad called his wife to tell her to prepare to leave the city, “With the Supreme Leader’s death, a larger-scale conflict is certain to occur.” As expected, due to the extremely dense missile strikes during the day, going out was too dangerous, and they continued to hide at home.

His child, just starting elementary school, was so frightened after a violent shock that he wet his pants. At that moment, Farhad made up his mind to leave, resulting in a “war” at home. He contacted relatives living in northern Iran, where it was relatively calm, preparing to flee together as a family. However, his elderly mother, unable to move easily, refused to leave the city she had lived in her whole life, believing that everything is predestined. Meanwhile, his wife was deeply engulfed in fear and desperately wanted to escape together.

The two sides began to argue, ultimately deciding to split up. Farhad found it difficult to choose whom to stay with.

Escape and Siege

After being out of contact for several days, Farhad sent a message to Pengpai News via instant messaging, stating that his wife and child had returned to their hometown in the north, while he stayed in Tehran with his mother. Reflecting on that day when he sent his wife and child away, he said, “Tehran’s bus station was crowded with people wanting to leave the city.”

Upon arriving at the bus station, they negotiated fares with several drivers, which had already risen to three or four times the normal rates. On the road leading out of the capital, vehicles were lined up in long queues, moving slowly. The government had converted the main road connecting Tehran to the Caspian Sea, Chalus Road, into a one-way exit road.

A ride-hailing driver in Tehran told the media that the fare he charged was double that of pre-war rates. “When I drive through the streets of Tehran under fire, when I am forced to buy gasoline at 5,000 tomans per liter (about 8.3 yuan), and when the costs of vehicle wear and tear soar, it makes sense to do so.”

Many drivers were worried about their safety. According to PressTV, on March 6, two service areas on the highway connecting Qazvin and Zanjan were attacked, resulting in at least 30 deaths.

The journey from Tehran to Sari, which normally takes about three hours, turned into almost ten hours during wartime. Long queues formed outside intercity gas stations, with people waiting in line to use restrooms. Farhad received news of his wife’s arrival only in the early morning.

In an eastern Tehran residential area, a man carries items from a destroyed house. Xinhua News Agency photo

Mina learned about Khamenei’s assassination a day later, followed by news of the Israeli airstrike on the expert conference building in Qom. The Assembly of Experts, composed of 88 senior clerics, is responsible for electing, supervising, and dismissing the Supreme Leader.

“We feel very painful about the Supreme Leader’s martyrdom and hope the Revolutionary Guard retaliates fiercely until Israel disappears,” Mina said. From a young age, she learned that the U.S. and Israel had no goodwill towards Iran. She recalled that after the 9/11 attacks, Iran indirectly cooperated with the U.S. on the Taliban issue, but soon after, then-President George W. Bush labeled Iran as part of the “Axis of Evil,” leading to harsher U.S. sanctions that severely impacted the Iranian economy.

Mina’s clinic had been in a semi-closed state since March 4, only caring for those in urgent need of medical attention, and she no longer needed to go to work every day. A friend in neighboring Armenia told her that her family could stay there for a while. Mina was hesitant; on one hand, the long drive could mean no gasoline and a higher risk of being attacked; on the other hand, her husband ran a small grocery store, and prolonged closure would mean no income.

“I firmly support the Islamic Republic of Iran, even if the leader becomes a martyr, they cannot overthrow the regime,” Mina said. “I love our leader and love wearing the hijab. Many people like me do not want change. Only a small group wants change, but when Israel kills our innocent children and attacks apartments, not just commanders, this group will understand that war will not bring the freedom they desire.”

Scholar Razavi from the University of California explained that the narrative of Khamenei’s “martyrdom” might affect Iranian society more deeply than outside observers might imagine. According to Shiite tradition, he died as a martyr. To many, he stood up for justice against American imperialism and Zionist aggression. Even those who do not wish for the Islamic Republic to exist may be touched by this narrative.

On the other hand, people often become more resolute in their original positions. Razavi added that when economic conditions worsen, prices rise, and basic goods become scarce, those who already believed the Iranian government was responsible for these issues will blame the government even more. Meanwhile, those who thought the U.S. was to blame will blame the U.S. Most people will not switch sides.

“Staying with Hope”

The mood of Muhammad’s family is different from Mina’s. When the conflict broke out, Muhammad was in China running a small travel agency. After several attempts, he reached his father and sister, learning that they had moved from the big city to their grandmother’s rural hometown in the south, away from government facilities, and had their own farm and food supplies for self-sufficiency.

“When I first called my family in Iran, they were in a good mood. I can say that, to my knowledge, some Iranians were even celebrating,” Muhammad mentioned the unrest in Iran earlier this year. “We know how destructive war can be, but we are facing something more deadly than war itself.”

According to Xinhua News, protests erupted in multiple cities in Iran from late last year to January this year due to rising prices and currency devaluation. Violent riots occurred during the protests, severely disrupting social order in several cities. The Iranian National Security Council released a statement on January 21, stating that the unrest resulted in 3,117 deaths.

U.S. President Trump stated at a press conference at the White House in January, “The recent unrest in Iran has led to the deaths of 32,000 Iranian anti-government individuals.” Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian refuted this claim.

In Tehran, two young Iranian women walk past a portrait of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with the Persian text on the portrait meaning “Superman of Iran.” Visual China photo

Muhammad’s family looks forward to change. He introduced that his father actively participated in the Islamic Revolution, taking to the streets to oppose the Pahlavi dynasty. After the revolution succeeded, he volunteered for two years, helping to build roads and provide assistance to impoverished areas and rural communities for the new government. “But now, including my father, many who took to the streets to support the revolution and worked for the Islamic Republic have given up.”

Historically, one of the reasons for the success of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 was the formation of a rare and powerful alliance among urban middle classes, religious figures, bazaar merchants, and urban poor. Sociologist Harris noted that these groups have changed over the past 40 years of social and political transformation and are no longer closely connected, largely a result of the societal structural transformation in the post-revolutionary era.

Yervand Abrahamian, an Iranian-American historian, told Pengpai News that over the 30 years following the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic performed quite well in establishing a welfare state and also developed a “social state,” reflected in educational advancements and outreach to rural areas, which clearly helped stabilize the regime. As long as there were oil revenues, it was relatively easy to fund these social projects. However, with the harsher sanctions of the 2010s, these revenues have almost dried up, and now austerity measures have led to a large unemployed population, with printing more money resulting in inflation. Former beneficiaries of the revolution are now discontent due to bleak prospects.

The travel agency Muhammad founded has been further impacted by the conflicts of last year, making matters worse. He said with frustration, “The travel agency is practically dead.” He hopes to maintain income through small businesses until peace returns, allowing him to return to Iran and regroup.

Despite relatively acceptable economic conditions, Muhammad and his family have not considered leaving Iran. He said, “People are more hopeful to stay, wanting to remain to participate in the reconstruction.”

According to data from the UN Refugee Agency, between March 4 and 18, approximately 26,600 Iranians entered Turkey, which is comparable to or even slightly lower than typical levels; nearly the same number returned to Iran. During the same period, over 31,000 entered Afghanistan. In contrast, greater movement occurred domestically. The Iranian government stated that up to 1 million families have been displaced within the country.

With Iranian airspace closed, land routes have become the only way for most people to enter and exit. Neighboring Turkey, with its large Iranian expatriate community and Istanbul as an important international aviation hub, has become a key transit point.

A 50-year-old female teacher from Tehran crossed the border with her 8-year-old daughter as the war entered its third week. She said in an interview that she planned to first send her child to a relative’s house in Turkey and then return to care for her elderly mother. “This journey is very difficult; I’m always worried that a bomb might fall on us at any moment.”

Worrying about bombs falling on them is something Farhad faces every day. The sound of warplanes is so close that he often feels they might crash into the house. He and his mother no longer sleep in rooms with windows, as the intensity of the attacks fluctuates over the course of two weeks.

Farhad said Tehran has become increasingly empty, while checkpoints and members of the Basij militia have multiplied, forcing his photography work to come to a halt. He described the city as being in a state of “strange normalcy,” where buses continue to run but with almost no passengers. Several cafes and bakeries near his home resumed operations starting from the second week of the conflict, as people tried to maintain their livelihoods amid the bombings.

Black Rain

As the scope of Israeli attacks expanded, on March 8, thick smoke covered Tehran, and Farhad initially thought that a network outage was causing his phone’s time display to malfunction. After opening the window, he smelled an extremely acrid odor and learned from the news that oil storage facilities had been bombed.

On March 7, Israel attacked four Iranian oil storage facilities and an oil product transfer center, creating a massive amount of smoke, which resulted in “black rain” containing oil the next day. The Iranian Red Crescent warned that the explosions would release large amounts of toxic hydrocarbons, sulfides, and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere and clouds. These atmospheric pollutants could make “rainfall extremely dangerous and highly acidic,” with acid rain potentially burning skin and severely damaging lungs.

Farhad’s mother, who already suffers from asthma, became more uncomfortable from the toxic smoke seeping into the house, and Farhad had to go out to buy medicine. His biggest worry was that as the war dragged on, the imported medications his mother relied on might run out, as some hospitals had already been damaged in the attacks, leading to a shortage of medical resources.

According to a report by the BBC on the 22nd, satellite images and verified videos showed that since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, schools, hospitals, and historical landmarks have been damaged. Gandhi Hospital in Tehran and a hospital in western Khuzestan Province have both suffered severe destruction. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the incident was “extremely concerning,” adding that “medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law.”

Initially expecting the conflict to end quickly, Farhad has gradually become pessimistic amid the relentless bombings. The city is filled with the ruins of flattened buildings. Furthermore, internet access has become even more difficult; he can only process some information in very short bursts after repeated attempts, relying entirely on luck.

Farhad is still persuading his mother, planning to take her north to reunite with the rest of the family. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a large influx of displaced persons has suddenly surged into northern Iran, driving up the demand for food and other essentials in this impoverished and economically isolated area. Local residents report that prices for staples like cooking oil, flour, and rice have skyrocketed, with some goods costing ten times more than before the conflict. The local security risks have also increased, as the Israeli military stated on social media that it had targeted sites in the northern Iranian region of Noor.

Previously, Farhad had expressed expectations for political and social change, but now he has become unable to discuss these matters. His only hope is for a ceasefire, with no thoughts about what might happen afterward. In contrast, Muhammad, far from the battlefield, stated, “We fear the situation escalating, more losses, and more pain, but we worry even more about what will happen after this war ends.”

In Tehran’s Tajrish Bazaar, people buy goods for the holiday. Xinhua News Agency photo

New Year Arrives

As the war drags on for a month, affecting the entire world, the question of when a ceasefire can be achieved has become a global emergency issue.

On March 20, Trump stated on social media that as they consider gradually downgrading major military actions against Iran, they are very close to achieving their established goals. Facing the energy crisis and potential economic risks triggered by the conflict, he has made contradictory statements, claiming to be engaging in “very good” negotiations with Iran while continuously sending more troops to the Middle East. Reports also revealed that the Pentagon is formulating a military plan for a “fatal blow” against Iran.

From the Iranian side, President Pezeshkian stated on the 26th that Iran is committed to a comprehensive end to the war. Insiders revealed that when Iran formally responded to the 15 points of the U.S. ceasefire proposal, it made it clear that the enemy’s aggression and terrorist actions must stop; objective conditions must be created to ensure that the war does not recur; there must be a clear commitment to compensate for war losses and implement it; and all lines and resistance organizations involved in the war must end their actions.

Razavi pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran has structured itself to survive in a war of attrition. Their goal is to endure until the U.S. can no longer maintain the political will for military confrontation. Iran has been preparing for this situation since the early 2000s. The severe sanctions imposed on Iran have led to two changes: first, the domestic communication technology system has become monopolized, allowing for the internet to be shut down and society to be isolated; second, a highly efficient domestic drone and missile production system has been established at a low cost. From the current situation, this war may actually be more favorable to Iran.

However, retired Colonel Miri Aisin, who has worked in military intelligence for over 20 years, does not share this view. “Iran’s capabilities lack depth and support. They may make strong statements, but in reality, they will strive to return to the negotiating table and delay the situation through negotiations.” She told Pengpai News that the leaders of the U.S. and Israel are jointly implementing a combat strategy against Iran, and the role of intelligence agencies is crucial for executing this strategy. Israel has been closely monitoring the threat posed by Iran and its proxies for years, and now possesses precise intelligence, which is now being transformed into strike targets and combat capabilities.

In Aisin’s view, Israel is regaining the initiative from the Iranian Islamic regime. Iran has been trying to define the rules of the game, but it should not determine the rules through threats and proxies. “As long as there exists an ideology that openly calls for ‘repairing’ the world through the extermination of Israel, the conflict will persist.” Yet she also stated, “I hope this long phase of war can end quickly; once the U.S. decides to stop, Israel should also stop.”

On March 16, Israel “decapitated” Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Basij militia. Larijani was considered a pragmatic figure capable of dialogue with the West.

On the 17th, Iran’s fire-jumping festival drew a large crowd in Tehran’s Enghelab Square, where the public gathered for a rally in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran. People waved Iranian flags and chanted verses from the Quran.

On the 18th, Iran confirmed that Intelligence Minister Ismail Khati was killed in the Israeli attack. The Israeli Defense Forces stated on the 26th that the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Intelligence Department was killed in an attack by the Israeli military.

Tehran, at the funeral in Revolution Square. Xinhua News Agency photo

On March 20, Iran welcomed the Persian New Year “Nowruz.” Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei delivered a written New Year’s address, congratulating on Eid and Nowruz, and set the slogan for the new year as “Achieving economic resilience under the protection of national unity and security.”

Razavi pointed out that while the religiosity of Iranian society is declining, this predominantly Muslim society has endured for over a thousand years. Shiite Islam profoundly influences people’s understanding of their identity and Iran’s role in the region. Even for those who are not religious, this cultural influence still exists. It constitutes a cultural foundation to some extent.

As the New Year approached, Muhammad had not been able to contact his family for several days and was filled with anxiety. Farhad and his wife and child also had not been reunited, but they were safe. He said, “We call each other every day. The first thing we say is ‘I’m fine.’ The last thing we say before hanging up is ‘I love you.’ We usually don’t chat much; if we continue, my wife easily gets emotional. We all fear it might be the last conversation, leaving more to say for the next time.”

The roads and walls in Tehran are stained with black ash, deep and shallow, with multiple areas suffering from a new wave of intense airstrikes and power outages, casting shadows among the ruins and in many people’s hearts.

(All interviewees in the text are pseudonyms.)