‘It’s not peace – it’s a pause’: Iranians sceptical ceasefire will hold

In the Iranian superior Tehran, aft a nighttime of dense bombardment and past the opening of a fragile ceasefire betwixt Israel and Iran pursuing astir 2 weeks of aggravated aerial strikes, confusion, uncertainty and distrust person gripped households.

Some families displaced during the struggle rushed home; others person been much cautious.

For Samaneh, a 37-year-old newsman who, similar different Iranians interviewed successful this article, lone wanted to springiness her archetypal name, the strength of Monday evening’s bombardment near her feeling shaken.

“The past nighttime of the bombing was the worst. I genuinely thought I’d ne'er spot my loved ones again,” she said, fearing for household and friends elsewhere successful the Iranian capital.

The ceasefire, which began connected Tuesday, brought lone minimal alleviation to those, similar Sameneh, who uncertainty it volition last, peculiarly amid claims of violations and promises of retaliation.

“I cognize this ceasefire is temporary,” Samaneh explained, adding that erstwhile United States President Donald Trump archetypal announced it connected Monday, she “thought it was conscionable different intelligence crippled … [he] was playing with us”.

“I couldn’t judge they’d [Israel and Iran] hold to it. I support expecting idiosyncratic to sabotage the full thing,” said the Tehran-based woman. “It wasn’t until [Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas] Araghchi posted connected Telegram confirming [the ceasefire in] a ceremonial connection from Oman that I felt alleviation – on with sadness, choler and fear,” she added.

“I’m profoundly discouraged. But astatine slightest aft 12 nights, I anticipation I tin yet get to slumber again,” she said. “My bosom aches for the radical of Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon – those who’ve endured this benignant of suffering for years.”

The struggle started connected June 13 erstwhile Israel launched strikes connected Iranian atomic and subject sites but besides residential areas successful Tehran, killing dozens of civilians, a fig of subject commanders and scientists. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drone attacks connected Israeli cities. Iran says astatine slightest 610 people person been killed, portion 4,746 person been wounded. In Israel, astatine slightest 28 radical person been killed portion hundreds person been injured.

Iranians assistance flags and chant during a rally protesting the US onslaught connected Iran successful Enghelab Square connected June 22, 2025 [Atta Kenare/AFP]

‘Us who pay’

In Karaj, portion of the greater Tehran region, 41-year-old past teacher Raha, who had been overseas but insisted connected returning location erstwhile Israel attacked to guarantee her household were safe, expressed indignation.

“It’s not bid – it’s a pause. How tin we spot those who speech of authorities alteration and bid successful the aforesaid breath?” she asked.

Trump has spoken of Iran accepting “peace” – fundamentally accepting US presumption for a surrender of its atomic programme. At the aforesaid time, the US president has called for authorities change, penning connected societal media connected Sunday, “If the existent Iranian Regime is incapable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, wherefore wouldn’t determination beryllium a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”

She added: “I fearfulness it’s conscionable a abbreviated interruption – a accidental for Israel’s subject to regroup earlier launching different circular of aerial strikes, conscionable similar they’ve done successful Palestine and Lebanon.”

“The US and Israel erased our agency,” Raha continued. “They’re deciding our aboriginal without us. They speech astir women, beingness and freedoms … yet they attacked my land. They violated the skies and borders of my country. They killed guiltless people. And wrong hours, billions of dollars – wealth that could person gone towards rebuilding Iran – were obliterated by American bombs. Our nuclear programme turned into craters and achromatic holes.”

Israel and the US person for years accused Iran of processing atomic weapons, portion Iran has maintained that its atomic programme is peaceful and for civilian uses.

Hadi, a 42-year-old civilian technologist from the southwestern metropolis of Ahwaz, backs the government’s presumption connected its atomic programme, pointing retired that it had agreed to a erstwhile atomic woody successful 2015 that Trump had unilaterally withdrawn from 3 years later.

“As a country, we repeatedly said we were not pursuing atomic weapons,” Hadi said. “It was Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the atomic woody that dragged Iran into the abyss of war.”

But Hadi inactive welcomed the ceasefire, and is blessed the Iranian authorities accepted it.

“We’ve mislaid truthful galore martyrs. I anticipation this brings the radical of my state person unneurotic – and that the authorities softens its stances connected things similar the hijab,” helium said. “We request to rebuild, and we request unity.”

Raha, meanwhile, is disquieted astir the home blowback and dreads what is yet to travel for Iranians, fixed the deaths and standard of harm caused by Israeli bombardment, which she believes the authorities whitethorn spot arsenic a defeat.

“I’m acrophobic the authorities volition present effort to instrumentality revenge for its decision against Israel by turning its repression inward, particularly against women. More arrests. More crackdowns. It’s ever america who pay,” she said.

Iran has arrested dozens of radical since the outbreak of the struggle with Israel, chiefly connected suspicion of spying for Israel. Iran has antecedently cracked down connected supporters of antigovernment protests successful 2022, and immoderate quality rights activists fearfulness that much radical volition beryllium arrested aft the warring with Israel for expressing opinions captious of the government.

Iranians locomotion on a thoroughfare connected Enghelab Square, connected June 24, 2025, aft Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire [Atta Kenare/AFP]

‘I don’t spot it volition last’

In the cardinal Iranian metropolis of Yazd, Mohammad, a 28-year-old nurse, has spent the nighttime displacement connected precocious alert, aft Israeli missiles a time earlier struck 2 subject sites successful the cardinal province, sidesplitting nine information personnel. He returned location aboriginal Tuesday greeting to the quality of the ceasefire being confirmed by Iranian authorities.

“Honestly, my encephalon isn’t moving decently aft a nighttime shift. But I’m inactive successful shock,” helium said. “Contrary to what galore of america expected – a drawn-out warfare – the authorities agreed to a ceasefire astir suddenly. It was truthful unexpected that adjacent galore of its critics couldn’t judge it. I deliberation they [the regime] were cornered, acrophobic of much high-profile Israeli assassinations, oregon adjacent interior equipped groups,” helium added.

“I’m gladsome there’s a ceasefire, but I don’t spot it volition last,” continued the exhausted 28-year-old, adding that helium believed planetary powers were simply sacrificing Iranian lives for their ain agendas.

“I don’t spot the [Iranian government], the US oregon Israel,” Mohammad continued. “This authorities had a accidental to marque a woody with the [US President Joe] Biden medication – and wasted it. Israel violated our sovereignty, killed hundreds of civilians and soldiers, destroyed our infrastructure, and assassinated our atomic scientists and their families. The US bombed my state and wiped retired the wealthiness of respective generations successful a substance of hours,” helium noted, referring to the demolition wrought connected the country.

“As acold arsenic I’m concerned, I person each close not to spot immoderate of those progressive successful this ceasefire.”

This portion was published successful collaboration with Egab.