Amidst escalating tensions, Iranian families are hunkering down in their homes, carefully rationing food and water as they brace for the worst. They fear retribution from their own government should President Donald Trump’s military intervention not succeed in dismantling the regime.

With strategic sites under bombardment, desperate communications are being smuggled out to news outlets like the Daily Mail, despite widespread internet outages. These messages paint a grim picture of the situation in Iran.

Since the launch of President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury four days ago, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have evacuated their military bases. Now, they patrol the streets armed and, according to reports, seeking vengeance.

“I spoke to my parents a few hours ago, and thankfully, they are safe. However, the bombing has been relentless,” shared an Iranian who has taken refuge in neighboring Armenia. “My cousin reported that with the IRGC bases destroyed, the military is now stationed throughout the streets, wielding AK-47s and threatening anyone they suspect to be a protestor.”

Exclusive video footage, provided by the source and captured while driving through the Seda Sima area of Tehran, reveals a stark reality. It shows an IRGC member brandishing a weapon, surrounded by the regime’s distinctive sand-colored armored vehicles. One officer is seen dressed entirely in black, complete with a helmet and boots, projecting an intimidating presence.

Exclusive video sent by the source, captured while driving through Seda Sima, a province in Tehran, shows a chilling reality. In the footage, an IRGC member holds a gun and is flanked by the regime’s signature sand-colored armored trucks. One enforcer is seen dressed ominously in all black, complete with a helmet and boots.

‘Some [of the military] are hiding, but the “niroo sarkoob” are on the street chanting “heydar heydar” all night. Making sure no-one dares rise again,’ the source said.

‘Niroo Sarkoob’ refers to the people in charge of the crackdowns. ‘Heydar’ is the nickname for one of the first historic caliphs, Imam Ali, who represents strength for the Shiite Muslims. Ali was also a central figure in the historic Battle of Khaybar where the Muslims defeated the Jews.

In the footage, an IRGC military member holds a gun and is flanked by the regime’s signature light yellow massive truck

One Iranian who fled to neighboring Armenia spoke to the Daily Mail

As bombs rain down on strategic targets, desperate messages smuggled out of the country to the Daily Mail reveal a dystopian nightmare 

Rumors have swirled amid the chaos about who is actually running the crumbling state

As the regime’s military terrorizes the streets, Trump was reportedly entertaining a high-stakes gamble: transforming Iran’s internal dissidents from mere protestors into a rhetorical, and potentially tactical, vanguard. 

Between the president’s recent calls to Kurdish leadership and a series of surgical Israeli strikes that seemed to be clearing a path through western Iran, there is speculation of Kurdish advances.

‘President Trump has spoken with many regional partners,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

But for those trapped in Iran, there is an existential dread that the allied job won’t be finished.

‘I think the bottom line is, the military infrastructure must be destroyed, and then all the military forces in the streets. The IRGC has told all their members to leave the buildings, so the buildings being bombarded are practically empty. My cousin was worried if the war stops suddenly and the regime remains they will retaliate against the people extremely hard.’

The source delivered a grim prediction: ‘IRGC has no capability to do any harm to Israel or the US at this point. So they will kill all their civilians. That is for sure.’

Rumors swirl amid the chaos about who is actually running the crumbling state after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Saturday. 

Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reported on Tuesday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the dictator’s son, had been appointed as the country’s new Supreme Leader.

Prior to the report, when asked if there were any conversations about replacing the Ayatollah, the source was blunt. ‘No. The thing is, the assembly of experts cannot congregate. They fear they get targeted and no one wants the position.’

The source speculated the military might be taking orders from Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, adding: ‘Or they [are] just auto-piloting.’

This photo was sent exclusively to the Daily Mail showing a rooftop in Ahvaz, a city in Iran positioned near the border with Iraq

Another Iranian sent horrifying photos of strikes directly behind a friend’s house on Nabard Street in Tehran

‘Niroo Sarkoob’ refers to the people in charge of the crack downs. ‘Heydar’ is the nickname for one of the first historic caliphs, Imam Ali, who represents strength for the Shiite Muslims

‘With the internet shut down in Iran people are struggling what to do when they don’t hear Donald Trump or Reza Pahlavi’s speech,’ the source said

As for any hope of the military turning on their own government? ‘Absolutely not,’ the source said. ‘We would not have this war if they had the right mindset.’

Meanwhile, families are surviving day by day behind locked doors. Stores are shuttered, and ATMs are empty. ‘The price of fundamental things like water have skyrocketed,’ the source noted.

And the relentless strikes are reshaping the nation’s landscape.

‘I talked yesterday with madar [mother] and my father. They told me that Isfahan is not that much like Tehran. The war is mostly in Tehran and Ahvaz. They are attacking all places of nuclear and atomic bombs and police stations from the Islamic Republic. Places which belong to IRGC… But Tehran has been destroyed a lot,’ one Iranian, whose parents sent him outside the country before the strikes happened, told the Daily Mail.

Another Iranian sent horrifying photos of strikes directly behind a friend’s house on Nabard Street in Tehran. ‘They are bombing every police station,’ he explained.

One local shared that his family hasn’t dared to leave their home. ‘They are still in their houses but yesterday the U.S. bombed the military facility near the airport of Isfahan called “Hashtom Shekari.”‘

Asked if his family feared for their lives at this very moment, his response highlighted a fragile trust in the allied strikes: ‘A little. But baba said U.S. and Israel just bombed the Islamic Republic places and not the people of Iran.’

Yet, partial internet blackouts are leaving millions utterly in the dark, desperately awaiting a signal.

Stores are shuttered, and ATMs are empty. ‘The price of fundamental things like water have skyrocketed,’ the source noted

Terrified Iranian families are fearfully retreating inside their homes, rationing food and water – bracing for a horrific slaughter at the hands of their own government if allied military strikes fail to completely obliterate the regime. This photo was sent exclusively to the Daily Mail showing a rooftop in Tehran

‘With the internet shut down in Iran people are struggling what to do when they don’t hear Donald Trump or Reza Pahlavi’s speech,’ the young man explained.

Still, a defiant hope remains in the capital. ‘A friend of mine who lives in Tehran however, mentioned that many have not evacuated Tehran. Waiting for the call of Pahlavi, regardless of the bombings,’ he said.

Both President Trump and the main opposition leader, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, have put out video statements asking Iranians to stay inside their homes for the time being, without direction on what to do next.

During a briefing today, Trump said ‘somebody from within might be more appropriate’ when asked about Pahlavi as an option to lead Iran.

It is not clear who that someone would be.