What Iranians make of the possibility of talks to end the war
Donald Trump had issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow passage whose closure has caused the price of oil to spike across the world – or face the wrath of the US in the shape of attacks on its power plants.
The US president announced on Monday who had threatened attacks that he would suspend them for five days because Tehran and Washington were making “major” progress toward a deal. The agreement would end more than three weeks of US and Israeli air strikes and Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The Iranian officials led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that no negotiations existed because everything was just “fake news.” A day later, however, Trump said the US was talking to “the right people” in Iran.
The Iranians who live everyday lives work hard to establish outside connections because they pay expensive fees for satellite internet Starlink connections which the government has banned. The government officials together with their supporters from the government sector possess internet access while common citizens face restrictions.
The government supporters have emerged to support their country after the US and Israeli forces carried out their first major assault. The state media broadcasts the support through its coverage of nightly events where dedicated supporters gather throughout Iran. The group holds identical beliefs about American diplomatic discussions according to the government officials whom they serve.
The people who want to remove the Islamic government of Iran from power. The population shows divided opinions about their preferences. The majority of people should prefer peace yet many people refuse to accept any peace talks because they suspect these talks will result in maintaining current government officials.
Note: All names have been changed to protect the privacy of our interviewees.
Kiana, a woman in her 20s, lives in the capital, Tehran. From day one, she has repeatedly said she wants the war to end, but now that the possibility of a ceasefire which would keep the leaders of the Islamic Republic in power is being mooted, she said she felt confused.
She doesn’t understand her emotions at this moment. The war will end when the explosions stop but they will face a weak regime. she says
“The government still maintains authority over its citizens. They will become even more violent, I think.”
I want to complete everything by blinking my eyes. Kiana said she does not want to think about upcoming events.
She remembers the extraordinary government response which banned all public protests throughout the nation during the December to January period.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) reported that more than 7000 people died during the violent outbreak which included 6508 protesters and 226 children.
Armin, another Tehran resident in his 20s, said he wanted the war to “end now”.
He stated that he would not accept any kind of negotiations with the Islamic Republic because he wanted to maintain his position against all negotiations.
He explained that the government of Iran would gain international credibility through this achievement which would enable them to suppress their citizens.
Armin said that he believes the current war will not lead to any resolution. The country needed to receive assistance with its internal resistance movements against the government according to Armin.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have frequently declared their efforts to establish conditions which would enable Iranians to establish their own government control.
The organization has not received any confirmation that their communication efforts succeeded in achieving their intended outcomes.
The Islamic authorities issued protests warnings to Iranians through statements and mass text messages since the war began on 28 February.
Brig Gen Ahmadreza Radan, the police chief of Iran, declared that his forces would classify street protesters as an enemy force who operated under enemy command.
There exist Iranian citizens who want the war to continue under these present circumstances.
Parsa, a 30-year-old resident of Karaj near Tehran, expressed his deep distress about negotiations. He fears that the Iranian leadership will remain in power.
The current situation allows them to be weak because their enemies are fighting to maintain their position. Their continued presence will result in civilian deaths because they plan to kill everyone who stays behind. The group remains strong but needs to lose more power before people will start fighting against them.
People have decided to leave Tehran to go to other cities and provinces which offer them better security.
Sadaf, a woman in her 20s currently in the northern Mazandaran province, is one of them.
Negotiations should not occur because I prefer to see all clerics leave. But yes, obviously I am scared of electricity and water outages.
People like Mahtab, a woman in her 20s, living in Tehran, who accept any result, exist between the two extremes.
The thing I keep thinking about the most is how, in every situation, so much of the blame somehow ends up on us, and we tell ourselves we’re in control… while at the same time, there’s basically nothing we can actually do,” she said.
“The world powers make all the choices which determine how people here must live,” Mahtab said.