In Tehran, Iranians try to enjoy ceasefire while it lasts
TEHRAN, April 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Mobina Rasoulian, a 19-year-old student
in Tehran, has been trying to make the most of nearly two weeks without
bombing thanks to the ceasefire in the Middle East war that may have just
hours left to run.
"I went out without being stressed, I roamed around, went to cafes,
restaurants, and here and there," she said of the truce that began on April
8.
Babak Samiei, a 49-year-old engineer, on his way back from a yoga class, said
"I tried to get back as much as I can to the routines of my life".
"In the 40 days of war we could not do anything," he added.
Samiei was glum, though, about the prospects for peace, with uncertainty
surrounding a planned second round of talks in Pakistan as the end of the
ceasefire ticks closer.
While he thought the ceasefire would be extended, he still expected renewed
fighting eventually.
"I think at the end of the day, there will be no agreement achieved.
Probably, there will be war again."
US President Donald Trump has insisted the talks will go ahead, saying the
truce will expire "Wednesday evening Washington time", but Iran has so far
not sent a delegation to Islamabad.
Washington and Israel started the war on February 28 with a massive wave of
attacks against Iran that killed numerous senior figures, including supreme
leader Ali Khamenei.
Between then and the truce, US-Israeli attacks killed thousands of Iranians.
- Economic pain -
In Tehran's wealthier northern neighbourhoods, which were largely deserted
during the fighting as residents fled to the nearby Caspian Sea coast, cafe
terraces have filled up once more with a young and trendy crowd, including
women without veils.
The area, a calm oasis of narrow, shaded alleys, is more Westernised than the
rest of the capital, a bustling city of 10 million people.
In the city centre, though, the devastation wrought by more than a month of
bombing is impossible to avoid, with ruined buildings looming over the
streets.
Here, supporters of the government frequently rally to show their defiance of
the US-Israeli campaign, with many women in the body-cloaking chador and a
smaller number wearing headscarves or no head covering at all.
Many Iranians fear the economic impact of the conflict and the strict
internet blackout put in place by the authorities.
Laleh, a 27-year-old English teacher who lives in the central Iranian city of
Isfahan, was waiting anxiously for internet access to be restored so she
could contact her students.
"I'm waiting for the internet to reconnect to see if I'll start working
again, because many (students) called and said that they either don't have
the money or their minds are too preoccupied to learn English and cancelled
their classes," she told AFP journalists based in Paris.
She said many companies, big and small, were laying off workers and
"inflation is awful". Some people, she added, have resorted to working for
ride-hailing services or as street vendors.
Farah Saghi, who is self-employed, put it simply: "Now the internet is shut
down, everyone is losing their jobs."
