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President Trump says he called off new strikes on Iran amid claims of an imminent deal, but Iranians, battered by war and economic collapse, fear renewed conflict and demand relief.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he halted additional strikes on Iran, asserting that a deal to end the war was imminent. Earlier in the week, a series of back-and-forth attacks brought a fragile ceasefire to the brink of collapse, threatening further devastation.
Initial strikes on steel and petrochemical facilities and energy infrastructure earlier in the conflict triggered widespread business closures and job losses across Iran. Citizens now struggle to afford basic groceries amid a spiraling economy. Combined with the economic freefall, the looming threat of war has left many desperate for an end to the turmoil and deeply anxious about the future. Huraz Ahmadi, a 19-year-old street vendor in Tehran, expressed fear of renewed fighting.
I don't think they will reach an agreement, given the way things are going. But I hope they make a deal. An agreement is much better than war, Ahmadi said. In wars, innocent and good people die.
I personally lost a relative. Over the past year, Iranians have endured two wars: first Israel's 12-day war against Iran in 2025, followed by a joint U.S.-led assault that began on February 28. Both attacks coincided with negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. Fresh U.S. strikes on Monday sowed confusion in Tehran after growing optimism that Tehran and Washington were nearing a deal.
One Tehran resident in his late twenties described the sound of explosions and air defenses triggering maybe a half hour of panic. Long lines formed at gas stations, but people returned within hours to living normally. War is also becoming normal. And that is very upsetting, the resident said, speaking anonymously due to security concerns.
Everybody is stressed out for a thousand reasons. Our lives are constantly in this political game where we can't plan anything or know what's going to happen. A critical demand from Iranian negotiators is that the U.S. provide economic relief and lift a naval blockade that has throttled trade. Many business owners are fighting to survive, according to a member of a council representing Iranian industrialists.
The main concern of many industrialists and entrepreneurs is the survival of their businesses and production. The concern is about the disruption of the supply chain of raw materials, parts and machinery due to the cruel U.S. blockade, said Mehdi Bostanchi. Bostanchi, who owns a ventilation system company in Tehran, is part of a trade group for factory owners across Iran, including textile, food, metal producers, and printing firms.
He noted that uncertainty over any deal to end the war is stifling businesses' ability to plan ahead and pursue recovery. The Iranian rial has also lost over half its value in the past year, crashing to around 1.8 million rials per dollar compared with 41,600 rials a decade ago. These deepening economic problems have fueled unrest in Iran. In January, security forces confronted protesters in the streets.
Arrests of protesters and their supporters have continued throughout the war. Alongside fear of government repression, Iranians who oppose the regime also dread a return to open conflict, said a social media influencer and therapist in central Tehran who participated in past anti-government protests. The war isn't anything but destruction for us.
And in reality, the attacks that happened killed a number of ordinary people and destroyed a number of homes and residential buildings, she said, speaking anonymously out of fear of retribution. Residents contacted by The Associated Press also voiced concerns that renewed fighting would prompt authorities to cut internet service again, since the January protests crippled Iran's digital economy and increased job losses. A partial restoration has only led to limited connectivity improvements.
A few hours after threatening further attacks, Trump posted on social media that significant points in the negotiations have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, during a live state television phone call, said mediators were active but nothing had been finalized to end the conflict. The threat of war over the Strait of Hormuz has also rallied the Islamic Republic's hard-line base.
Authorities have organized nightly rallies in recent weeks to project popular support for a tough stance in talks with the U.S. Hamid Reza Bani Ebrahimi, a 47-year-old merchant, opposed any agreement that would limit Iran's right to enrich uranium and develop nuclear technology. Israel and the U.S. have repeatedly struck sites and figures linked to Iran's atomic program. Our scientists worked so hard to acquire this technology, and then they came and martyred them, Bani Ebrahimi said
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