Why Many Iranians Are Losing Hope After Six Months of War
New York Times · LC · trust 38/100
Iranians have become increasingly desperate, as they grapple with an economic crisis made worse by the conflict and grow increasingly skeptical about President Trump’s motives.
Listen · 7:05 min Share full article 247 The most immediate preoccupation for most Iranians is dealing with soaring prices caused by an enduring economic crisis. Credit... Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times By Leily Nikounazar and Yeganeh Torbati
“The one thing I’m certain about is that I wasn’t sad,” said Negar, a 35-year-old lawyer, describing feelings that were echoed by other Iranians interviewed via voice memos and text messages. “There was anxiety. There was worry. But there was no grief when the war began.”
Six months later, the hope that Negar and other Iranians had that the war might presage a better future is largely gone, replaced with gnawing worries about the future, cynicism about the intentions of the United States and growing desperation from living in a failing economy.
The New York Times has regularly spoken with Iranians throughout the war, and not everyone was as hopeful as Negar and other critics of the government. Many Iranians support the system and have stood behind it, or opposed both the government and the idea that it could be swept away through military force.
But whether they initially welcomed the U.S.-Israeli military campaign or not, many Iranians say they no longer think that the government is set to crumble and are more focused on surviving an enduring economic crisis that the conflict has made much worse.
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