Feb. 28, 2026 When Hossein woke up in his eastern Tehran home on Saturday morning to the sounds and news of US and Israeli strikes, he immediately tried to contact his parents.

He called again and again, but no one answered.

“The last time I spoke to my parents was last night. I had asked them many times to leave Tehran. I told them that since they are retired, they should at least go to the north for now," he tells Middle East Eye, struggling to hold back tears.

“But they refused. They said this is not a life – leaving our home every couple of days.”

Hossein says his parents’ home was completely destroyed by Israeli strikes on Saturday.