In a quiet Tehran apartment, eight-year-old Amir draws only in black and gray—colors that reflect his war-torn reality. "He wakes screaming several times each night," his mother Fatima confides, "terrified by sounds we barely notice." The BBC's investigation reveals Amir's story is tragically common across Iran, where children internalize the violence surrounding them, manifesting in bedwetting, aggression, and paralyzing anxiety that experts warn could persist for generations.

Psychologists working in makeshift counseling centers describe their efforts as "emotional triage," attempting to heal invisible wounds while bombs still fall. "A ceasefire doesn't heal a fractured childhood," explains Dr. Mariam Rezai, whose mobile clinic serves displaced families. "These children have lost their innocence to conflict, and even in peace, they'll carry these nightmares—transforming from today's victims into tomorrow's generation still haunted by war's relentless echo."