A recent video from Tehran captures scenes of people assembling in small clusters, some displaying Iranian flags while others have them draped over their shoulders. Enghelab Square, known for hosting pro-regime gatherings during the 40-day conflict, was filled with animated discussions among attendees, indicating a range of emotions present in the crowd.<\/p>\n
The footage, recorded by Majid Nouri\u2014a son of a notorious former Iranian prison official\u2014was shared online and provides insight into the domestic response following a ceasefire announcement made the previous night. Nouri, who has been vocal about the ensuing debates, noted that discussions began around 3 a.m. and extended into the early hours of Wednesday. His commentary reveals the unrest among pro-regime supporters, who had previously been stirred by promises of victory against the US and Israel before the unexpected ceasefire was declared.<\/p>\n
Nouri stated, \u201cThere are still discussions happening in groups, with some constructive debates emerging. Primarily, people seem shocked and upset.\u201d His father, Hamid Nouri, is serving a sentence in Sweden for his role in the execution of numerous political prisoners in 1988, although he was returned to Tehran in a 2024 prisoner exchange.<\/p>\n
According to Nouri, the crowd had not anticipated a ceasefire, leading to extended discussions among them. He expressed his belief that initial feelings of frustration would eventually subside, suggesting a more positive atmosphere might develop. He added, \u201cWe have no trust in America. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s a single Iranian who does. With God\u2019s will, victory will be ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Subsequent reports indicated that pro-government demonstrators were chanting slogans like, \u201cDeath to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!\u201d Despite attempts by organizers to pacify the crowd, the chants persisted, and demonstrators set fire to US and Israeli flags in the streets.<\/p>\n
The footage reflects the ongoing frustration among hardliners who anticipated a decisive military confrontation, especially in light of bold threats from former President Donald Trump. Instead, they faced an abrupt halt to what had been a destructive conflict, which has resulted in at least 1,900 fatalities in Iran.<\/p>\n
Due to extensive internet blackouts, gauging public sentiment in Iran has become challenging, particularly as anti-regime voices face harsh repression. However, in various areas of Tehran, some cautious celebrations occurred during the early hours of Wednesday.<\/p>\n
As dawn broke over the capital, life began to return to a semblance of normalcy, devoid of any overwhelming celebration. The prevailing mood among citizens was characterized by a combination of weariness, measured hope, and skepticism.<\/p>\n
One Tehran resident, Ali, 31, remarked, \u201cMost people here lack trust in the US and are uncertain about what lies ahead, leaving them unsure whether to feel happy or anxious. There\u2019s a desire for the war to conclude satisfactorily, with the stipulations set by Iran, but there\u2019s no assurance that these will be honored. Likewise, the durability of the ceasefire beyond the two weeks remains uncertain. For now, we must remain patient.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the streets of Tehran appeared more vibrant, with increased business activity, more vehicles on the roads, and individuals checking in on family and friends.<\/p>\n
Officially, Iran has framed the ceasefire\u2014and the conflict itself\u2014as a triumph, enhancing Tehran’s stature internationally while demonstrating its capacity to disrupt a crucial global shipping route.<\/p>\n
Iranian leaders have sought to leverage the conflict’s shortcomings, which have drawn criticism from even the US\u2019s closest allies for being illegal, lacking clear objectives, and generating geopolitical and economic instability beyond Trump\u2019s control.<\/p>\n
Former Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati claimed in a post on X that the war has led to the emergence of \u201ca new global power structure\u201d and a shift toward a multipolar system in which Iran assumes a more prominent role.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian described the ceasefire as \u201cthe result of the sacrifices made by our revered martyr leader [Ali] Khamenei and the collective effort of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some Iranians, the ceasefire presented an opportunity to resume their livelihoods. Hamid, a 43-year-old owner of a small grocery and cleaning supplies store that had been shuttered since the initial bombings in February, shared, \u201cToday feels like there is no war.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cI chose to reopen because I feel secure now. The last few weeks have been extremely tough for my business and family. Many have lost their sources of income, and now we need to recover the time we lost.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A recent video from Tehran captures scenes of people assembling in small clusters, some displaying Iranian flags while others have them draped over their shoulders. Enghelab Square, known for hosting pro-regime gatherings during the 40-day conflict, was filled with animated discussions among attendees, indicating a range of emotions present in the crowd. The footage, recorded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5281,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[577,578,88,574,571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-iran","category-uk-middle-east-and-north-africa","category-uk","category-uk-us-israel-war-on-iran","category-uk-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n