The Tehran Missile Barrage and Life in the Shelters

In its 22nd issue, dated May 1, 1988, Adineh magazine published a special edition dedicated to the Tehran missile barrage. The cover featured a striking design by Ebrahim Haghighi — a large, black missile plummeting from the sky towards a delicate, lone flower rooted in a green field. The stark contrast between the terror of the missile and the fragility of the flower captured a frightening reality that still resonates deeply today. The issue comprised several reports, narratives, and a short story that illuminated the lived experience of that turbulent period.

Life in the Shelter: Difficult but Safe

Afsaneh Nahid’s report, “Life in the Shelter, Difficult but Safe,” provides a vivid depiction of the harsh conditions that residents endured. “In the new round of urban warfare that began on the evening of Monday, March 10 of last year, people of Tehran and several other cities also tasted the bitter reality of missiles,” she writes. “A few years ago, on a trip to Dezful, I asked a friend’s husband how they managed. He smiled and said, ‘Very easy. When we’re on the street, we look at the sky instead of at our feet, so if we spot a nine-meter rocket, we can duck.’ At the time, I thought he was joking. Why do we only comprehend terror when we have experienced it ourselves?”