Wave of explosions reported across Iran in early morning hours

Several Iranians told Iran International that familiar rituals that normally fill homes with activity in the weeks before the holiday have stalled.

“This year we did nothing,” Leila, a 38-year-old resident of Tehran, told Iran International. “We didn’t wash carpets and we didn’t do the house cleaning. Every year I would start from early February, but this year we are just looking at the sky, waiting for the fall of this regime.”

Nowruz, the Persian New Year marking the arrival of spring, has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years across Iran and parts of Central Asia and the Middle East.

The holiday usually falls on March 20 or 21 and begins nearly two weeks of family visits, meals and gatherings.

‘Shaking the house’

In most years, the weeks before Nowruz transform daily life across Iran. Families traditionally begin with Khaneh Tekaani, a deep spring cleaning whose name literally means “shaking the house.” Carpets are washed, cupboards reorganized and homes refreshed to symbolically welcome the new year.

Another essential ritual is planting Sabzeh — dishes of sprouting wheat, lentils or barley that represent renewal and rebirth and are later placed on the Haft-Seen table, the centerpiece of the celebration alongside candles, colored eggs, a mirror and often a red goldfish.

But this year, some residents say even modest traditions feel out of reach.

“Planting Sabzeh is something we Iranians do every year, but this year with all the news about war we completely forgot about it. God damn the Islamic Republic for ruining everything,” Kamran, a 42-year-old office worker in Hamedan, told Iran International.

‘No money, no mood’

Markets that normally bustle in the run-up to Nowruz — with families buying sweets for visiting relatives, decorative items for Haft-Seen tables and new clothes for children — have also been quieter this year, residents say.

Some cite the worsening economic situation as a key reason holiday traditions have faded.

“Every year despite inflation we bought at least a few things,” said Golnaz, a 35-year-old shop owner in Karaj. “But this year we had neither the money nor the mood. We are waiting for that final moment.”

Golnaz described how rising prices have weighed heavily on households and small businesses.

“Even if we wanted to prepare and had the energy, prices are so high we simply cannot afford it. Everything has become several times more expensive. I run a small cosmetics shop and this month I have not even earned the rent for the store,” she said.

Her husband, who drives for a ride-hailing service, is working less frequently amid fears of bombings and falling demand as more people stay home.

‘No ordinary time’

On social media, many Iranians say the emotional tone of the season has shifted sharply compared with previous years.

“If things were normal, I should be excited for next week and finishing my preparations. The scent of night-blooming flowers would be filling the house and the holiday sweets would already be in the refrigerator,” one user wrote.

Another reflected on the contrast with childhood memories: “What burns me is that it is the New Year season. People should now have the mood of buying for the holiday and welcoming the new year in Iran. I remember how excited I was as a child. But those feelings slowly died inside me.”

For generations, the approach of Nowruz has filled Iranian homes with cleaning, cooking and preparations symbolizing renewal. This year, residents say those rituals — once a nationwide signal of spring’s arrival — have been overshadowed by war, rising prices and uncertainty about what the new year will bring.

Explosions were reported in multiple cities across Iran early on Tuesday, including Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz and Abadan, according to witness accounts sent to Iran International.

Several blasts were heard around 05:15 local time in Karaj, while an explosion was reported earlier at 05:00 in Hashtgerd, west of Tehran.

In northern Tehran areas including Tajrish, Darband and Jamaran, loud explosions were heard between 02:45 and 03:05, with no fighter jet activity reported.

Further south, residents in Abadan and Khorramshahr reported dozens of explosions around 04:00.

In Shiraz, several blasts were heard starting at 03:40, with continued explosions reported in the nearby city of Sadra. Multiple explosions were also reported in Lar in Fars province.

In southeastern Iran, a strong explosion in Chabahar at 05:34 shook buildings, witnesses said.

Explosions, fighter jet activity and heavy security deployments were reported in several Iranian cities on Sunday night and early Monday, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

In Karaj, near Tehran, the Aghigh complex was hit around 2:50 am and nearby streets were later sealed off by Revolutionary Guards forces. Fighter jets had operated several times over the city around 2:45 am, rattling windows in nearby buildings as five loud explosions were heard in the Golshahr and Mehrshahr areas.

In the capital Tehran, witnesses reported a large presence of security forces around Chaharbagh mosque in the Jannatabad area, where checkpoints were set up near the Hemmat highway on-ramp.

In the southern port city of Bandar Siraf, the sound of fighter jets was heard on Sunday night and, about a minute later, the city’s maritime base was struck. Witnesses said the first blast was very intense and a second strike followed about five minutes later.

Six loud explosions were reported around 3:20 am in Jam in the southern Bushehr province, with white smoke covering parts of the sky. Witnesses also reported the presence of IRGC forces and ammunition at the Podol-Lamzan outpost in the southern port city of Bandar Lengeh.

Reports from citizens across Iran on Sunday indicate increased security deployments, widespread checkpoints and new signs of military activity in several cities.

In Rasht, northern Gilan province, residents said plainclothes security agents were seen on March 14 moving through neighborhoods carrying devices larger than mobile phones, apparently searching for Starlink satellite internet signals.

Witnesses also reported nightly IRGC checkpoints from 10 p.m. on the Rasht–Astaneh highway, about one kilometer before the Astaneh bypass.

In Bandar Abbas, multiple checkpoints have been set up across the city. According to residents, roughly six out of every ten vehicles passing through the checkpoints are stopped and inspected.

Residents in Shahriar, west of Tehran, reported seeing Israeli drones flying over the Shahid residential district at around 6:25 a.m., drawing attention from locals.

In Isfahan, witnesses said several locations across the city were struck between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. Residents reported more than 15 missile impacts and said fighter jets were heard flying lower than usual. According to those accounts, air defense systems did not appear to be active at the time.

In the coastal area of Bandar Javad al-Aemmeh, southern Hormozgan province, residents reported that an IRGC base operates with an underground tunnel from which missiles are launched at night. They also said monitoring posts and towers have been installed on the nearby Shahin-Kuh heights.

In Parsian, in Hormozgan province, residents said police had set up a new checkpoint booth labeled as a “hospital,” where vehicles are being stopped and searched.

Residents reported new explosions around midday Saturday in several Iranian cities, including Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz and Sanandaj.

Witnesses said an explosion was heard in Sanandaj, Kordestan province, around noon. In Shiraz, several blasts were reported at about 12:15 p.m. local time. A resident also reported hearing an explosion in Bandar-e Bostanu in Hormozgan province.

Later, at around 2:40 p.m., multiple explosions were reported in Isfahan, according to residents.