From online class to Revolution Square: A Tehran teacher’s routine amid war

Mehran, a 47-year-old teacher in Tehran, exemplifies the altered reality of daily life in Iran under the strain of the "Ramadan War." Universities, schools, and industries have been targeted, forcing Mehran to conduct his classes online from a small corner of his apartment. "Life hasn’t stopped here, as some might imagine, but it has taken on a completely different rhythm," he told Al Jazeera, which followed his experiences.

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Life hasn’t stopped here, as some might imagine, but it has taken on a completely different rhythm.

The war's impact is palpable in Mehran's daily struggles. He battles for internet bandwidth on the domestic "Shad" e-learning platform, where weak connections often disrupt lessons, causing students to vanish from the screen. His home environment is a cacophony, with his daughter attending her own online classes in the living room and his son seeking a signal in the hallway, while his wife works remotely from another room. "The weak internet can barely sustain one stable connection, let alone three or four at the same time," Mehran explained.

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The national internet is available, but it has become frustratingly weak due to the massive surge in users.

Beyond the digital challenges, Mehran faces economic hardship. A trip to the pharmacy reveals shelves stripped of essential medicines, with prices having skyrocketed. "Medicines now eat up a quarter of my salary; they used to be just seven percent," he noted. He considers himself fortunate, as others face severe shortages due to blockades and suspended flights crippling supply chains. Mehran's day, marked by the frustrations of virtual learning, empty pharmacy shelves, and hyperinflation, offers a snapshot of Tehran's determined, yet strained, effort to preserve normalcy.

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Sometimes my voice breaks up, and suddenly dozens of students just vanish from the platform.