It was March 5th, 2026, at 8:07 PM for me. The sun had set and I had started my nightly routine of watching Netflix on the living room TV as I ate dinner. I was shoveling spaghetti into my mouth when an all-too-familiar noise from my phone interrupted my Avatar: The Last Airbender episode. It was a Discord ping. Somewhat begrudgingly, I checked the notification– a video from Izzy Abdul-Raheem, my Kuwaiti friend.
I was used to random messages from her, but it was awfully early in Kuwait (3:11 AST), and normally the only videos she sent were clips of Limbus Company. This video was different — fully black with just the sound of her AC. “I feel like a million bucks!” her ever-snarky yet uncharacteristically shaky voice rang through my speakers. Three seconds of silence followed, broken by the sound of an explosion. Then the video cut out.
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. I heard about these attacks just four hours after they began, introduced to them while watching the news. Izzy wasn’t as fortunate. At 8 in the morning, she woke up to her sister crying after finding out that school was canceled. Izzy didn’t know why until she checked her phone, seeing a message from me asking if she was safe.
Within hours, Iran responded with a series of retaliatory attacks, launching drone and missile strikes across the region. Kuwait, as a home for multiple US military bases, was heavily targeted. Less than eight hours after the United States and Israel struck Iran, Iran had struck Kuwait International Airport and Ali Al Salem Air Base.
Up until the ceasefire on April 8th, Kuwait was constantly under fire, with the longest period without strikes lasting for only four days. Izzy and I found each other slightly withdrawing from our relationship. For her, it was a general thing. Being bombed gives you higher priorities than responding to online friends.
For me, it was out of fear. On one hand, I didn’t want to worry her any more than the war already did. On the other, I didn’t want to risk potentially having something bogus remain as our final interaction.
Regardless, we managed to keep up some level of contact, albeit infrequent. She’d update me about her qualms and I’d share a few of mine, though I’d try to keep things light. As Ramadan came to an end, we saw each other more. Not having to fast gave her more energy, and the eventual short-lived ceasefire made it easier to call without having to worry about when the next big boom would be broadcast across Discord.
It was around 2 AM when Izzy first noticed bombs in her area. She was sneaking a bonus snack before Sahur when she started hearing explosions. Most were intercepted by missiles, and the ones that hit were far from her. And no, being bombed apparently isn’t reason enough not to fast.
Izzy is ‘Ajam — a Kuwaiti of Iranian descent. Many of her family members still live in Iran. Since the war started, her father and uncle’s communication has been impaired, and some family members’ homes have been bombed. “Some are trying to flee, but it’s currently difficult,” she added. Russia and Bulgaria were the countries her family was looking towards.
When I asked whether or not anyone she knew had been physically harmed, Izzy hesitated before responding. Seemingly trying to ease into the topic, she mentioned that her school had been bombed. School across the country had been virtual for some time now (which Izzy described as rather unsuccessful and reminiscent of COVID-19 era quarantine), though high schoolers were beginning to return to in-person learning.
Izzy’s final year of high school, however, would have to be spent in a replacement building. Eventually, Izzy relented that one of her classmates had died after being crushed by falling rubble. Additionally, her chemistry teacher and his wife — Egyptian expatriates with soon-to-expire visas — had been stranded following the bombing of Kuwait’s airport, as had Izzy’s brother and his wife. Despite this, she noted that fleeing Kuwait outside of air travel is still very possible, as borders are beginning to open up again. Those in Iran face a much more complicated path to sanctuary, however.
Luckily, it seems that this war has had a limited impact on Izzy’s social status. While ‘Ajam Kuwaitis face pre-existing stigma, Izzy said the war hadn’t led to any noticeable increase in bullying, as it was still a “pretty new matter.” However, she did mention that social discouragement of speaking Farsi is becoming increasingly common. Izzy also mentioned identification being taken from ‘Ajam, but did not elaborate.
Izzy sits at a unique intersection of Iran’s conflict, one which reflects countless others in her area. While it’s easy to focus solely on how the 2026 Iran War has impacted the countries fighting in it, it’s also important to look at wider areas of focus. Like every Middle Eastern conflict, this war impacts more than just two or three countries, and understanding these impacts is a crucial part of understanding how to correct the harm being caused. Otherwise, you only recognize the stubbed toe in the amputation.
