TEHRAN, Iran – After two weeks of escalating conflict, Iran is reeling from a war that has claimed over 1,200 civilian lives and displaced up to 3.2 million people, according to figures released by the Iranian Health Ministry and the UNHCR on March 13, 2026. The conflict, which began with airstrikes targeting military bases and police stations, has now spread to residential areas, leaving cities like Tehran shrouded in smoke and residents living in fear.
The strikes, initially focused on military infrastructure, have increasingly impacted civilian areas. A recent attack on a school resulted in the deaths of at least 165 people, according to Iranian state media. Residents describe a city under siege, with constant air raid sirens and the threat of further attacks. Amin Khodadadi, reporting from Tehran, described a sense of pervasive insecurity, stating that “nowhere in Tehran feels safe anymore.”
The economic toll is similarly mounting. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that the U.S. Has spent approximately $16.5 billion in the first 12 days of the war, with an initial expenditure of $3.7 billion in the first 100 hours of what has been termed “Operation Epic Fury.” Global oil prices have surged, reaching $119.50 per barrel, prompting the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, including 172 million barrels from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil transport, remains a focal point of concern, with 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passing through the region.
The conflict has extended beyond Iran’s borders. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports 773 deaths and 1,933 injuries, with 830,000 people displaced. Israel has reported 12 civilian and 2 soldier deaths. Several Gulf States have also reported casualties, with at least 16 deaths across the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. At least 16 ships have been struck in the region, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations, and U.S. Central Command reports damaging or destroying more than 90 Iranian vessels and destroying over 30 Iranian minelayers.
Photographer Majid Saeedi, an Iranian documentary photographer who has covered conflict in the Middle East for decades, has been documenting the devastation in Tehran. His perform, which has appeared in publications including The Times, Der Spiegel, and The Latest York Times, offers a visual record of the war’s impact on civilians. Saeedi has received the title of “The Best Photographer of Iran” eight times and has won numerous international photography awards, including the 2012 R.F. Kennedy Award and the 2011 Lucie Award. He began his career photographing refugees on the Iran-Iraq border at the age of 18.
Public opinion in the United States is divided, with an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicating that 56 percent of Americans are against the war. The Biden administration has yet to announce a clear path toward de-escalation, and the Pentagon has confirmed that more than 15,000 targets have been hit by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine have not provided a timeline for the cessation of hostilities.
Iranian hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of casualties, with 25 facilities damaged and 9 out of service, according to Iranian health officials. The situation is further complicated by the displacement of millions of people, many of whom are seeking refuge with family or friends, while others remain trapped in conflict zones.
