In Tehran, exhausted Iranians are caught between war and the shadow of war

“In Tehran, exhausted Iranians are caught between war and the shadow of war Submitted by MEE correspondent on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 14:01 Fear that war will return and hope that it will really end are in equal supply, but very few in Iran trust Trump Iranian women walk past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran on 1 June 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters) Off Afshin, a 38-year-old living in Tehran, speaks for many Iranians when he describes how he’s feeling, over three months after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran . “We’re exhausted,” he says. “It’s either been war since last summer, or the shadow of war. I hope they come to a deal so we can finally get out of this suspended state… I just want life to go back to normal.” Like many others here in Iran , Afshin is tentatively hopeful that negotiations between the US and his country might resolve the current situation, which he describes as “neither war nor peace”. Talks mediated by several regional countries, including Pakistan and Qatar , have continued, despite US strikes on southern Iran and Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon . Last week, Iranians were reading that a deal would give both sides an additional 60 days of ceasefire, during which time a more comprehensive agreement covering multiple issues, including Iran’s uranium enrichment programme and sanctions relief, would be worked out. There is no guarantee that such a reality will be reached. The uncertainty continues, and with it, an emotional burden many are finding hard to bear. Hediyeh, a 27-year-old national from Tehran, is still beginning to think some agreement may have been reached behind closed doors. 'We're exhausted. It’s either been war since last summer, or the shadow of war' - Afshin, 38-year-old Iranian “From what I read in the news, it seems all but settled,” she tells Middle East Eye. “It appears that they’re only still negotiating on how and when to announce it.” But she remains deeply sceptical about how durable such an arrangement might prove. “I’m not an expert,” she says, “but everywhere people say this understanding is only supposed to prolong the ceasefire for a month or two, and only after that will they start discussing the tougher issues.” She slows down before continuing. “But what if there isn’t a final agreement? Honestly, we’re tired. We are tired of hearing about uranium and the nuclear programme and negotiations and ‘informed sources who asked not to be named.’” No one trusts Trump At the same time, many Iranians remain convinced the war will resume. Both the 12-day war of last year and the one launched at the end of February broke out while Iranian and American diplomats were in dialogue through intermediaries. That history has, for some Iranians, rendered the current diplomacy suspect. “I don’t trust Trump anymore,” 46-year-old Mohammad, also from the Iranian capital, tells MEE. “Two times he attacked us while we were negotiating. Why shouldn’t it happen a third time?” He believes the ambiguity at the heart of the current discussions only enhances his suspicions. “All this uncertainty drags my mind more towards the possibility of another war.” 'How can anyone properly and confidently predict anything, when so much of global politics rests on someone this unpredictable?' - Hamidreza, Iranian clothing store owner Trump has been consistent in his inconsistency, issuing conflicting public comments about a potential deal with Iran day by day. At times, he has addressed Iranian officials respectfully on social media and said that a deal was close. At other times, he has told reporters he was unhappy with the terms being discussed and issued wild threats and injunctions. The same uncertainty has spilled over from various officials in Trump’s administration. On 28 May, AP cited several senior US officials in a report that said the text of an agreement had been finalised and was awaiting the president’s sign-off. Hours later, Tasnim News Agency, which is associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, denied the report. Citing an Iranian negotiator, Tasnim declared there was no final text and that no such message had been passed back to Pakistani mediators. The result has been an ever-increasing national suspicion. 'Everything hangs in the air' Hamidreza, 58, owns a clothing store in Tehran. He says the uncertainty has paralysed everyone, from businesses to ordinary people. “Everything in our lives is hanging in the air,” he says. “We don’t know what to do. The market is terrible. We can’t plan ahead. We can’t even visualise the future adequately. Customers are in exactly the same situation.” 'Do you know what's worse than war? When they can go wherever they want, blow up parts of your country, and nothing really happens in return' - Mehdi, Iranian civil engineer Asked whether he thinks a deal will ever be struck, Hamidreza laughs bitterly. “Trump himself likely doesn’t know, much less me,” he tells MEE. “Anyone who tells you with certainty what’s going to happen is a charlatan. The world is now dealing with a man who goes into one night's sleep and wakes up the next morning saying something totally different. “How can anyone properly and confidently predict anything, when so much of global politics rests on someone this unpredictable?” For others, this uncertainty has thrown off very concrete plans. Sima, 31, works in a laboratory in Tehran and was planning to pursue a degree in Europe. But she says the present situation has effectively frozen visa procedures for most Iranians. “Many European embassies in Tehran are essentially semi-shut down,” Sima says. “You cannot get an appointment in Iran, they won’t permit you to apply through embassies in neighbouring countries either.” She tells MEE about months spent chasing admission to a master’s programme in Italy. “I spent months trying to get into a decent Italian university. Meanwhile, the value of the rial collapsed and totally altered my financial calculations.” She hasn’t been able to book a visa appointment, even though she received her admission letter. “And we start our new academic year in a few months,” she says. An American trap Not all Iranians approve of a rapid agreement with Washington. Some worry that the current diplomatic effort could become another strategic trap, with Iran losing its leverage and gaining nothing of substance. Mehdi, a 41-year-old civil engineer, says he is extremely pessimistic about the negotiations. “What are we, exactly, giving and what are we receiving back?” he asks. “If they stopped the war and went back to bargaining, it’s from pressure associated with the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil costs.” From Gaza to Tehran, Palestinians and Iranians compare life under the bombs Read More » He thinks Iran could be giving away strategic leverage at too low a price. “So now we reopen the strait and in return they return a tiny fraction of our own frozen cash?” he says. “That sounds absurd to me.” Mehdi fears that a temporary understanding would in the end weaken Iran without stopping potential future military confrontation. “I’m not saying I like war,” he says. “But do you know what’s worse than war? When they can go wherever they want, blow up parts of your country, and nothing really happens in return. That’s how things played out for years in Syria.” The civil engineer fears that if Iran continues to ease pressure on Washington and the global economy, the US and Israel will return to all-out war. For the time being, many Iranians are caught between those two apprehensions: fear of another war, and fear of an unstable peace that will only delay war. War on Iran Tehran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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