AILSA CHANG, HOST:
And as the Trump administration deliberates on its next move, Israel and Iran continue to pound each other with missiles. Israelis sought shelter and bunkers in several areas. Many Iranians are trying to flee the capital, Tehran, while others have chosen to stay and risk Israeli strikes. NPR international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam has this report.
JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: There has been a near-total internet blackout across Iran for the past couple of days. Still, an NPR translator was able to contact three people there to talk about life while under Israeli attack. All of them asked that we not use their full names out of fear of retribution by the Iranian regime for speaking to foreign media. The three displayed a sense of resignation and anger and even some flashes of gallows humor. Mede (ph), a 28-year-old software engineer, describes the chaos of trying to get out of Tehran for the suburb of Qarchak earlier this week.
MEDE: (Through interpreter) I heard a loud explosion a quarter of a mile away. My car battery had died. I was standing still, right in the middle of chaos of ambulances and people rushing about, while I waited for car assistance to come and replace my car battery.
NORTHAM: Mede says he didn't hear any sirens before or after the explosion. That's because there aren't any. Ciervaz (ph), a 38-year-old painter living in Tehran - he laughs mockingly when the government tries to tell Iranians that Israelis have sirens because they're scared of Iranian missiles.
CIERVAZ: (Through interpreter) But we are not scared. That's why we don't have sirens. They said that on Iranian TV channels. They're making fun of Israelis for obeying safety protocols. They hide in the shelters, but our people go to the roof and watch.
NORTHAM: Ciervaz has chosen not to leave Tehran to escape Israeli missiles despite warnings a few days ago from President Trump to evacuate.
CIERVAZ: (Through interpreter) I saw my neighbor today, and he told me the sky has the same color wherever you go. They hit everywhere. How long can you run? We can take three or four days, but for more than a week? We are not financially prepared for this.
NORTHAM: Ciervaz's friend, Yasser (ph), a 35-year-old personal trainer, doesn't want to stay in Tehran, but has little option.
YASSER: (Through interpreter) Tehran is quiet and silent, and it's crazy, but I couldn't convince my mom and my family to leave. They decided to stay in one place altogether. At least we can all die together.
NORTHAM: Yasser says whatever happens is out of his hands.
YASSER: (Through interpreter) If a bomb doesn't hit me now, it may hit tomorrow, so let it finish the job now.
NORTHAM: But Mede, the software engineer, says Iran is a vast country, and the possibility of a missile hitting an apartment is low.
MEDE: (Through interpreter) For example, the 20 missiles that hit every day destroy a maximum of 20 flats in residential apartments. There are 1- to 2 million residential apartments. Statistically, the chance of getting hit by a missile in one week is 1 in 400,000.
NORTHAM: Even if his math doesn't add up, the odds become shorter the longer this war drags on.
Jackie Northam, NPR News.
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