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Iranians find little cause for celebration in US peace deal: ‘99% in survival mode’

When Iran’s ⁠Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced the interim deal this week to end the ⁠war with the United States, he declared his country the…

By Samantha Johnson / June 17, 2026
When Iran’s ⁠Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced the interim deal this week to end the ⁠war with the United States, he declared his country the victor. To many Iranians, it does not feel that way.

More than three months of US and Israeli air strikes, and a blockade of Iranian ports, have poured new misery on a people already toiling under years of sanctions.

Although the war is over – for now – Iranians are still watching their spending carefully. Few of the supporters and opponents of the Islamic Republic interviewed this week said they believed better times were coming soon.

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Some think economic anger could prompt new waves of protest against ‌the government. Others expect a renewed crackdown similar to the bloody suppression during the last wave of mass demonstrations in January.

And with any more lasting agreement pushed back for further talks, there is little certainty among them that the deal intended to end the war will survive the summer.

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“I think 99 per cent of people are in survival mode and just living day by day. I don’t think anybody has any hopes any more. I don’t think anybody has any visions of what the future might look like,” said Amir, 34, a media production company owner in Isfahan in central Iran.

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