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CAIRO — <\/span>Iranians were already reeling from a shattered economy and the mass killing of protesters when the first U.S. and Israeli bombs slammed into Tehran<\/a> a month ago.<\/p>\n Now they are struggling to get by through a war with no end in sight<\/a>, wrestling with lost livelihoods, damage to homes and the stress of explosions. Many wonder where it is leading \u2014 to the destruction of their homeland, the chaotic fall of the theocracy or its survival, wounded but more extreme<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve experienced everything bad possible,\u201d said a 26-year-old designer in Tehran, \u201cfrom the terrible atmosphere of January and the killings and arrests to the war.\u201d <\/p>\n Daily explosions, near and far and unpredictable<\/a>, shake and damage homes. Businesses are struggling. An unprecedented internet blackout since January has largely cut people off from the outside world and made communication within Iran more difficult.<\/p>\n The trauma of war comes on top of the shock from January, when hundreds of thousands across Iran marched in the biggest protests<\/a> against the theocracy in decades \u2014 only to be met by security forces opening fire, killing thousands. Tens of thousands were detained, and arrests have continued<\/a>.<\/p>\n The AP spoke to 10 people across Iran, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity for their security.<\/p>\n The designer, who with a partner runs a factory making leather fashion products, said her business was on the verge of closing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the economy gets bad, nonessential goods are the first thing to be removed from the shopping cart,\u201d she said. Much of her sales are online, and the internet blackout practically reduced \u201cthe small sales to zero.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the January protests, she has had to live off her meager savings, and the violence of the crackdown upset her so much she has not been able to return to work. <\/p>\n When the war began on Feb. 28, she moved to her parents\u2019 house. A few days later, the blast from a nearby strike damaged her apartment that she had just left. Like most Iranians, she doesn\u2019t have home insurance, so she will have to pay for repairs herself.<\/p>\n She only leaves her parents’ house to buy necessities.<\/p>\n The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran. <\/p>\n An engineer living in Tehran tries to find a pattern in strikes \u2013 are certain times safer? Recent nights saw explosions light up the skies. One evening, a blast shook his home as he had guests over. They climbed up on the roof and tried in vain to figure out where it hit. \u201cWe didn\u2019t see any visible fire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He thinks the strikes are less frequent now, or maybe \u201cour perception of it has changed,\u201d as everyone gets used to bombings.<\/p>\n He feels anxious when family or friends go out on the streets, and struggles to sleep. He had a job offer before the war but does not know if it is still there. Soon, he says, many will struggle with rent and bills.<\/p>\n Government workers, who make up a large part of the workforce, are still getting salaries. But private businesses are struggling to pay employees as they close for days on end or reduce hours.<\/p>\n The collapse of Iran’s currency<\/a>, largely caused by U.S. and international sanctions over its nuclear program, triggered the protests late last year.<\/p>\n Many Iranians have fled to the north, which has been relatively unscathed. One of the main cities, Rasht, has been packed with Iranians who fled from Tehran and elsewhere, straining local resources.<\/p>\n A doctor at a pediatric hospital said the number of patients has nearly doubled. Medicines are running out, he said, and patients now are asked to buy some basic supplies, including antibiotics or IV fluids, from the market.<\/p>\n The internet blackout is affecting his ability to access his patients\u2019 history and check correct dosages online, he said. It has also forced the doctor to set aside his own personal effort to document the casualty toll from the January crackdown because witnesses are unreachable and the online database is inaccessible.<\/p>\n He plays video games or watches television to pass the time. In a week-old binge, he is five seasons into \u201cThe Walking Dead,\u201d the American postapocalyptic horror drama series. <\/p>\n Throughout, Iranians have been wrestling with widely mixed feelings over the war, the ruling theocracy and the future.<\/p>\n Authorities continue to organize pro-government street rallies, aiming to show public support. The feared paramilitary Basij<\/a>, charged with internal security, has stepped up patrols even as it is targeted in airstrikes.<\/p>\n The engineer said decades of misrule have been hard on Iranians. But he said that doesn\u2019t justify the U.S.-Israeli attacks. He was angered by the deaths and the damage to infrastructure and military capacities.<\/p>\n He\u2019s trying to channel that anger into determination to rebuild. \u201cI\u2019m going to be stronger after this war. I will be damaged, just like my country. But that\u2019s it. This is life. We\u2019re going to make it better.\u201d<\/p>\n