'Normal, but not really': Iraqis try to carry on as missiles fly

While Iraqis have grown accustomed to conflict over the decades, this has not diminished their anxiety about a wider war. "Life seems normal here, but it isn't really," said Karim Al-Aqabi, 65, as he strolled with two friends down Al-Mutanabi Street, famous for its booksellers and performers. "Instead of listening to music, we listen to the news constantly," the father of three, gesticulating to emphasise his point, told AFP. Shortly after the US-Israeli attack on Tehran on February 28, Iraq closed its airspace.