Coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes targeted military and civilian areas across Tehran, regional proxy bases, and other Iranian cities, sparking deeply polarized reactions among the Iranian public.
On March 2, 2026, coordinated and unprecedented airstrikes conducted jointly by the United States and Israel heavily bombarded multiple locations across Tehran and other Iranian cities. The Western-funded DW Persian reported explosions near Ferdowsi Square and the Pasdaran area, specifically identifying the Diplomatic Police headquarters and defense industry sites as targets. Several Iranian news channels, including اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا فوری, described the bombardment on eastern Tehran as "insane attacks by America and Israel".
Reporting on the casualties and targets varied wildly depending on the source's political alignment. Hardline Iranian state-aligned outlets, such as روزنامه وطن امروز, explicitly framed the assault as an attack by Israel on the homes of the people in Tehran. The کانال رسمی جمعیت هلال احمر, Iran's official Red Crescent, confirmed injured citizens at Ferdowsi Square. In contrast, the Israel Defense Forces stated they had targeted the Iranian regime communications center in Tehran. Meanwhile, the Houthi-aligned مقاومت اسلامی انصارالله یمن circulated footage of the heavy attacks by America and the Zionist regime, while also publishing aerial footage of Tel Aviv to celebrate prior Iranian missile impacts there.
The military offensive extended well beyond the capital. Strikes were reported in Tabriz, Karaj, and Malard. A strike in Mahabad, northwest Iran, likely targeted an IRGC barracks. The campaign also hit proxy targets regionally, with extensive US and Israeli strikes reported in central Iraq and southern and eastern Lebanon.
Public reaction inside Iranian Telegram chat groups showcased extreme domestic polarization and visceral anti-regime sentiment. In the گروه خبر فوری discussion group, several users openly cheered for the destruction of the state apparatus. Users taunted regime supporters about the lack of harsh revenge, with one user asking "what floor of hell is Khamenei on after all the people he killed". Another user in گروه خبرفوری urged the foreign militaries to "strike these bloodthirsty animals, kill whatever IRGC forces there are", addressing the attackers directly with "my dear Israel, my cute America". This rhetoric underscores the deep internal fracturing within Iran as the foreign bombardment intensifies.
The source material features highly polarized and extremely graphic anti-regime user comments, which have been faithfully translated to reflect the raw domestic sentiment in Farsi Telegram channels. State media, Western-aligned outlets, and opposition groups present fundamentally contradictory narratives regarding whether civilian homes or military bases were targeted.