Iranians are living between confusion and exhaustion as the country and its economy are squeezed between war and multiplying crises at home. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he called off fresh strikes on Iran as he claimed a deal to end the war was imminent. Back-and-forth strikes earlier this week pushed a shaky ceasefire to the edge of collapse, which, if it happens, would inflict more havoc on Iran's battered economy. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Strikes on steel and petrochemical industries and energy infrastructure earlier in the war have spurred a wave of business closures and job losses in Iran, where people now struggle to afford groceries in the face of triple-digit food inflation. Huraz Ahmadi, a 19-year-old street vendor in the capital of Tehran, said he feared 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. In wars, innocent and good people die. I personally lost a relative."
In the past year, Iranians have faced two wars – first Israel's 12-day war in 2025 against Iran followed by a joint assault with the U.S. that began on Feb. 28. Both attacks were launched in the middle of talks about Iran's nuclear program. The war is straining Iran's economy and daily life.