Residents of Tehran reacted cautiously to the announcement of a preliminary agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at extending the fragile ceasefire in place in the conflict shaking the region.
The details of the text have not yet been made public. Tehran has stated that its implementation will only begin after its official signing, scheduled for Friday in Switzerland under Pakistani mediation.
This agreement could be an important step towards ending a war that has claimed thousands of lives across the Middle East, also affecting several high-ranking Iranian officials and causing a serious energy crisis.
For some residents of the Iranian capital, this agreement represents a hope for economic improvement. "If the agreement is properly implemented, it will allow Iran to reconnect with the rest of the world, which could help curb rising prices and improve living conditions for the population," says Mohammad Kazem Rafiei, 56.
Others remain more skeptical. Abdullah Mohammadi, 42, doubts Washington's ability to honor its commitments, referring to the 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA), from which the United States withdrew in 2018 under the presidency of Donald Trump.
“The United States has already shown in the past, particularly with the JCPOA, that it doesn’t always honor its commitments. With the current administration, I remain pessimistic,” he stated. “For Iran, the JCPOA experience left a bitter taste.”
Despite diplomatic progress, the agreement remains fragile. Persistent tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese movement backed by Iran, continue to threaten de-escalation efforts. Israeli strikes carried out on Sunday in Beirut's southern suburbs served as a reminder of the volatility of the situation and the numerous obstacles that remain to a lasting settlement.
