For Iranians exhausted by months of war, the announcement of a preliminary peace deal brought a rare moment of relief: the prospect of nights without explosions and an end, however fragile, to a conflict that had deepened the country’s isolation and financial despair.
But almost as soon as the news began to spread, relief gave way to a more familiar feeling—uncertainty over whether a ceasefire would hold, whether the economy could recover, and whether the war had ultimately strengthened the government's hand at home.
“My strongest reaction is relief. I'm relieved that there will be no more bombs … that I will be able to go to sleep without worrying about being woken up by bombs exploding around me, glass shattering,” says Somayeh, a 37-year-old who, like all other Iranians TIME spoke to for this story, asked to use a pseudonym because of fear of regime reprisals.
“The problem is, I don't know how long this will last. America and Israel attacked both times while there were negotiations going on,” the Tehrani woman adds.
“I’m happy but also very worried,” says Sahand, a professor in his 40s. “I wouldn't be surprised if [President Donald Trump] attacks the day after the November elections in the U.S.”
The nation was already in the throes of an economic meltdown, with its national currency plummeting to record lows and its point-to-point inflation rate soaring to 77% in May, according to Iran's Central Bank.
“Even before the war, the economy was already in a bad situation,” says Hesam, a 63-year-old civil engineer. “Now, I think we're going to end up in the [record books] as the worst economy possible.”
For Ali, a Tehrani technician who had to lay off his half a dozen workers, the economic situation isn’t theoretical. “Even if [the war] doesn't start again, what are we going to do with all the damage that it's done to industry, to our economy?” the 56-year-old asks, continuing: “Ther
