As deal is agreed with US, not all in Iran are convinced that peace is here
The US and Iran announced a memorandum of understanding to end nearly four months of hostilities, but many Iranians remain skeptical about a lasting peace.
Tehran, Iran – The world let out a collective sigh of relief when the United States and Iran announced that a memorandum of understanding had been agreed to end nearly four months of hostilities on Sunday. But on the streets of Tehran – exhausted by years of sanctions and tensions – the ceasefire announcement has done little to instill confidence that the crisis is over.
An agreement between the two sides, to be signed on Friday, looks set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, largely controlled by Iran since the war began on February 28, something it is hoped will stabilise rattled energy markets. In return, the US will lift a naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports, which has squeezed Iran’s already embattled economy.
Many important and delicate issues still remain to be addressed, such as the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, US sanctions, and Tehran’s frozen assets. These will likely be deferred until a later date, leading to pessimism among many in Iran that a long-term resolution will ever be finalised.
“I think the agreement doesn’t have huge benefits for the people because it won’t be really enforced in full to bring any stability to our lives,” said Parisa, a university student based in Tehran, who used just her first name for security reasons. “It might work for now, but both sides will jeopardise it based on their own interests.”
Mehdi, another resident of the capital, said he is not optimistic that a ceasefire will hold long term due to the number of contested issues that still remain unresolved.
On Monday in Tehran’s downtown Valiasr Square, authorities unveiled a giant black mural depicting slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who regularly advocated distrust toward the US. During nightly gatherings of pro-state forces, many have criticised any concessions to Washington.
The deal also includes halting military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, which Tehran had insisted on. Iranian media said Trump agreed to immediately lift the naval blockade instead of over 30 days previously negotiated, in exchange for Iran halting any planned retaliatory attacks against Israel.
The official text of the Iran-US agreement has not been published, but both sides are already attempting to frame the deal as a victory. Meanwhile, Iranian markets have welcomed the prospect of an end to direct hostilities. The national currency strengthened on Monday for a third day, while the Tehran Stock Exchange index reached a new high of almost five million points.
