Iranians Wait Anxiously as US Deal Hangs in the Balance

As spring arrives in northwestern Iran, a fragile ceasefire has brought more traffic onto highways and more Iranians back to their homeland. However, the mood remains uncertain, with many wondering if a US deal can be done.

A grey-haired banker, who had stayed with his son in Turkey for a month, described the recent war as having mainly hit military targets, not homes and civilian infrastructure. In contrast, an elderly woman in a headscarf spoke mournfully of the suffering of young Iranians, from shells crashing into residential neighborhoods to threats from Iran's Basij paramilitary forces.

Temporarily Calm

Others focused on more temporal pressures, with a young woman declaring that the ceasefire won't hold and Iran will never give up its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The current calm is also marked by the targeting of civilian infrastructure, which has been met with criticism from legal scholars warning of violations of international humanitarian law and possible war crimes.

The US and Israel insist they are only striking military targets, but the damage to bridges and highways is evident. A huge flag draped across the ruins of a flattened barracks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the outskirts of Tabriz serves as a reminder of the conflict.

A Rich Civilization

Despite the threats and destruction, Iran's rich civilization is still visible, with women wearing veils and scarves and others, of all ages, bare-headed. This is a legacy of the 2022-2023 Woman Life Freedom protests, where women refused to turn back the clock despite strict rules on modesty and severe punishments.

New banners stretch over highways with portraits of the three supreme leaders since the 1979 revolution, including Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei. The current leader is reportedly playing a role in forging a new political and security doctrine in the wake of the devastating war.

Talks and Tensions

Details have emerged about the 21-hour meeting between a US delegation and Iranian officials in Islamabad, where a possible deal was discussed. The US has presented a take-it-or-leave-it approach, with demands including no nuclear enrichment for Iran and the dismantling of enrichment facilities.

Iran has rejected a 20-year moratorium on nuclear enrichment and proposed a five-year pause. Tehran has also pushed back against demands to hand over its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium, sticking to its earlier concession to dilute the 60% enriched uranium.

Despite the tensions, there is a sense that people are taking things one day at a time, whatever their views on their country's future. The question remains whether a deal can be reached to lift crippling sanctions and bring the change Iranians want to see.