How civilians in Tehran are suffering the impacts of war: ‘My daughter is under the rubble’

Rescuers dig through the rubble of a Tehran residential building destroyed by an Israeli attack BBC A mother stands in the rubble, crying out for her daughter. For days, she has been waiting for rescuers to begin excavating the destroyed remains of what was once her daughter’s apartment in Resalat, a residential neighborhood in eastern Tehran, Iran. “They don’t have enough people to get her out,” the woman says. “She’s afraid of the dark.” For a month now, Iran has been at war with the United States and Israel, which have carried out attacks across the country against targets linked to the regime. But these attacks are also having a devastating impact on civilians living nearby. They are caught between aerial bombardment and a repressive regime that responded to anti-government protests with a brutal crackdown in January. Since the start of the war, BBC Eye has collected exclusive footage from independent journalists inside Tehran. Mother of children killed in bombed school in Iran remembers last conversation: ‘Come and pick us up from school’ ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp See videos that are trending on g1 The BBC is rarely allowed into Iran and has not had access since the start of the war. We gathered testimonies from eyewitnesses, filmed consequences of the attacks and analyzed social media and satellite images. Our analysis shows that there were a series of attacks against state-linked targets located in civilian neighborhoods of Tehran, with deadly consequences for nearby residents. BBC aerial footage Dozens of families lived in the multi-story apartment building in Resalat before it was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on March 9. The woman trapped in the rubble lived in the complex with her husband and young daughter. Days after the attack, she and her daughter were found dead under the rubble. The husband survived. Another apartment building across the street was also destroyed in the airstrike. A 55-year-old man who lived there said the attack was “so sudden” that he was “hurled across the room.” He says everything he has is now buried under the rubble. “I have nothing left. All my documents, everything, is gone.” Local authorities and residents say between 40 and 50 people died in this single attack. The homeless are staying in a nearby hotel. “This was our life,” the man adds. The Israel Defense Forces told the BBC World Service that they targeted a military building used by the Iranian Basij, a paramilitary force linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. But analysis of the fallout suggests the impact extended far beyond that single location. The people who previously lived in this building lost everything and are now staying in a BBC hotel READ ALSO: VIDEO shows US missile hitting base next to Iranian school where 175 people died UN warns of real risk of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Lebanon Satellite images captured in the days following the attack show at least four buildings destroyed in quick succession. Although one of them was famously associated with the Basij, the surrounding structures appear to have been residential. Images from the scene, verified by BBC Eye, show widespread destruction throughout the neighborhood. Our analysis indicates that buildings up to 65 meters away were severely damaged by the blast. Residents also describe multiple explosions in a matter of seconds. “The explosion hit the place three times,” says a survivor. “Maybe three or five seconds apart. I tried to get up, but the rubble fell on my head.” Military experts told BBC Eye that the Israeli Air Force is likely using particularly large Mark 80 series bombs in Tehran, which are often equipped with precision guidance systems. They added that the scale and extent of damage observed at Resalat is consistent with the use of the Mark 84, the largest in the series, weighing 907 kg. Unexploded bombs matching these types have been photographed in the city. The UN has previously urged warring countries and armed groups to avoid using high-powered bombs in densely populated areas due to the danger to civilian lives. BBC Eye spoke to two experts in international humanitarian law. They believe that using such a heavy bomb in a densely populated area would be disproportionate, considering the potential harm to civilians, and possibly illegal. Military experts say the scale and extent of damage seen at Resalat is compatible with the use of a powerful bomb called the Mark 84 BBC Resalat is not an isolated case. Since the start of the conflict, the Israel Defense Forces have claimed to have dropped more than 12,000 bombs across Iran and 3,600 bombs in Tehran alone. US Central Command claims to have struck more than 9,000 targets across Iran. Many of these American and Israeli strikes have targeted police stations, Basij militia buildings, police headquarters, military and police universities, safe houses, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps residences, as well as possible ammunition depots and checkpoints. Often these targets are located in busy civilian neighborhoods. On March 1, an Israeli attack hit the Abbasabad police station near Niloufar Square, where families were gathered after breaking the Ramadan fast. Eyewitnesses described seeing at least 20 people dead, although the BBC has not verified this number. Witnesses described a “terrifying light” followed by multiple explosions. “We ran into the street,” said one man. “A man and a woman had just left a store and were immediately shot.” Residents reported multiple attacks in quick succession on the same target. “It hasn’t even been two minutes,” said another witness. “When we came back, they attacked again.” The Israel Defense Forces confirmed responsibility for the attack, stating that they “hit a military target”. BBC Eye analysis of the impact zone suggests that, as at Resalat, damage extended well beyond the identified target. Under international humanitarian law, all parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives. The expected damage to civilians or civilian buildings must be proportionate to the expected military advantage gained from that specific action. It also requires parties to avoid, to the extent possible, placing military targets in or near densely populated areas. Aerial images BBC US-based news agency HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) claims that 1,464 civilians, including at least 217 children, were killed in Iran in the first month of the conflict. Residents told BBC Eye that attacks on residential areas could worsen resentment, even among those who were previously critical of the Iranian regime. The BBC questioned the Israel Defense Forces about the incidents reported in this report. They confirmed the attacks, but did not comment further. The US Department of Defense did not respond. Iran also attacked civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in neighboring countries during the war, such as airports and hotels, particularly in Gulf nations allied with Washington. In Tehran, residents criticized Iranian authorities for their response to the war. They told the BBC there was little visible provision of basic security measures, including public shelters, evacuation support or temporary accommodation for those displaced. Several people we spoke to said they had not received any guidance on where to go or how to protect themselves during the attacks. “There are no sirens, no warnings,” said one resident. “All you can hear is the explosion.” In the absence of clear communication and amid an ongoing internet blackout, many described feeling exposed and uncertain, not knowing when or where the next attack might occur. The Iranian government has not publicly released any national civil defense protocols in response to the attacks. The United States and Israel say they are targeting Iranian state infrastructure. But in a city where this infrastructure lives side by side with houses, stores and schools, the consequences are felt far beyond the declared targets. For those experiencing it, the pressure is measured in lost homes, destroyed families and a growing sense that nowhere is truly safe. See more: Iran’s Chancellor accuses the US and Israel of genocide and asks the UN to condemn the attack on the school in Minab, which killed more than 170 US is considering sending 10,000 more ground troops to the Middle East, says newspaper

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