As the US and Israel boast of the military success of their bombing campaign in Iran, ordinary Iranians describe a very different reality – one defined by profound losses.
The war has wrought destruction, relentless fear, financial ruin and the sudden collapse of years of hard work.
Ahmadreza, a shop owner in central Tehran, is one of them. The 40-year-old ran a small optical store until an air strike destroyed everything he had worked for.
"My entire life savings are gone," he told Middle East Eye. "Everything I had built over the years just disappeared in seconds."
Ahmadreza estimates his losses at around 150 billion rials, roughly $100,000.
