The war against Iran: between coffees and walks, the inhabitants of Tehran take advantage of the truce while it lasts

“I have gone out without stressing, I have walked, I have gone to cafes, restaurants,” says the young woman on a street in the capital, with her head uncovered and a ‘piercing’ in the nose despite the strict clothing regulations of the Islamic republic.

Babak Samiei, a 49-year-old engineer, has also tried to “return as much as possible” to his habits. He has returned to sports and yoga after 40 days of war “without doing anything.”

Now he tries not to think too much about the future although he believes that, despite the negotiations“in the end no agreement will be reached and the war will probably resume.”

Iran said Tuesday that it has not yet sent a delegation to Pakistan for a second round of negotiations. And according to US President Donald Trump, The ceasefire expires Wednesday night Washington time.

The war began on February 28 with the bombings of Israel and the United States against Iran. Until the truce agreed on April 8, the bombings were constant and left thousands dead, including numerous Iranian leaders.

In the wealthy neighborhoods of Tehran, abandoned by the war and whose inhabitants went to seek refuge on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the terraces are full again.

The clientele is young and modern, and they unapologetically show off their curly or dyed hair. A group of street musicians play percussion while passersby continue with their daily lives. Some drink lattes with matcha tea in coffee shops, while others do their shopping.

The north of Tehran and its alleys, with a more westernized lifestyle than elsewhere, They seem like an oasis of calm which contrasts with the hustle and bustle of the rest of the capital of more than 10 million inhabitants.

In the center, ruined buildings remind us of the toll of war. Every afternoon, supporters of power continue to demonstrate in the large squares, with Iranian flags and the ubiquitous chador.

Many Iranians are worried about the economic situation, aggravated by the war, and by the communication restrictions imposed by the authorities.

Laleh, a 27-year-old English teacher who lives in the city of Isfahan, in central Iran, is desperately waiting for the internet to be restored so she can resume her online class activity.

“The number of layoffs in large and small companies is very high and inflation is terrible,” he told AFP journalists in Paris.

“Many have started working for Snapp! (an online taxi booking service similar to Uber), and the city is full of street vendors,” he says.

In Tehran, Farah Saghi, a 60-year-old self-employed worker, says that “now that the internet is cut off, everyone loses their job.”