MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We've been reaching out to people in Iran and Israel for their thoughts about the war. We start with Bahran (ph), a 21-year-old university student from Tehran. We're only using her first name due to a fear of government retribution.
BAHRAN: (Through interpreter) You can hear sounds of drones, air defense explosions, broadcast breaking news covering an area that's under attack. It seems like when the air defenses fail, the bombs hit, and we hear them.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Vanessa Katchorginski (ph) lives in a suburb of Tel Aviv with her husband and three children. Rockets have landed near their home.
VANESSA KATCHORGINSKI: We really felt - you know, our body jumped from the floor. You could really hear it. You could really feel it.
FADEL: Soon after Israel's strike started, Bahran and her family in Iran packed a few belongings and left their home.
BAHRAN: (Through interpreter) Why are we leaving? These belongings are all ours. We worked hard for them. We're in love with this place. We grew up in this place. Where are we supposed to go? Even talking about it makes me cry.
MARTIN: Mahaya Lesham (ph) lives in northern Israel with his wife and three kids. After the October 7 attack by Hamas, they feared an invasion in the north and left their home for a few months.
MAHAYA LESHAM: Children in Israel and in the region altogether - I mean, in other countries, as well - but as the wars have been going on, they've had no normal life in the last - you know, from COVID, it feels like things never went back to any kind of normality.
FADEL: Kurush (ph) is from Tehran. Again, we're only using his first name out of concern for government retribution for speaking. He has this to say about the future.
KURUSH: (Through interpreter) My hope is that this regime's fate is decided as soon as possible. Hopefully, Trump will get involved and help overthrow this regime.
MARTIN: Yasmin Schwartz (ph) is a teacher living outside of Haifa, who says Israelis have positive feelings about the Iranian people.
YASMIN SCHWARTZ: It's, like, kind of the dream of Israelis that one day, Iranians and Israelis can go back to being friends like it was before the Islamic Republic took over. You know, there used to be flights between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
MARTIN: Our conversation with Yasmin was cut short due to a warning siren.
SCHWARTZ: Yeah. We're getting a warning that there's going to be an air raid siren soon. So...
(SOUNDBITE OF BEEPING)
SCHWARTZ: I have to go. I'm sorry.
FADEL: In Iran, Bahran also cut her conversation short. The government, she said, was going to impose an internet blackout.
BAHRAN: So I think I won't be available for a while and say anything more. Take care, and goodbye.
FADEL: Voices from inside Iran and Israel - two longtime rivals now at war.
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