U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he had halted additional strikes on Iran, asserting that a deal to end the war was imminent, according to The Associated Press. the announcement came after a week of back-and-forth attacks that brought a fragile ceasefire to the brink of collapse. On the ground in Tehran, Iranians expressed deep skepticism and a desperate desire for peace amid a spiraling economy, with the rial crashing to 1.8 million per dollar.

The rial's collapse from 41,600 to 1.8 million per dollar

The Iranian rial has lost over half its value in the past year, plummeting from about 41,600 rials per dollar a decade ago to roughly 1.8 million rials per dollar, the AP reported. Initial U.S. strikes on steel, petrochemical, and energy infrastructure triggered widespread business closures and job losses across Iran, leaving citizens struggling to afford basic groceires. the economic freefall has compounded the trauma of repeated wars: first Israel's 12-day war against Iran in 2025, followed by a joint U.S.-led assault that began on February 28.

Why Tehran's industrialists are fighting for survial

Mehdi Bostanchi, a Tehran ventilation system company owner who represents a trade group for factory owners including textile, food, metal producers, and printing firms, told the AP that the main concern among industrialists is survival. “The concern is about the disruption of the supply chain of raw materials, parts and machinery due to the cruel U.S. blockade,” Bostanchi said.. Iran's negotiators have demanded that the U.S. provide economic relief and lift a naval blockade that has throttled trade, but uncertainty over any deal stifles business planning and recovery.

The two wars that reshaped Iran's landscape in 2025

Iranians have endured two distinct conflicts in the past year: Israel's 12-day war in 2025 and the subsequent U.S.-led assault starting February 28, both coinciding with nuclear negotiations.. Fresh U.S. strikes on Monday sowed confusion in Tehran, with one anonymous resident in his late twenties describing “maybe a half hour of panic” as explosions and air defenses triggered long lines at gas stations. “War is also becoming normal. And that is very upsetting,” the resident told the AP. The constant threat has left Iranians unable to plan their lives, with a social media influencer and therapist in central Tehran noting that “the war isn't anything but destruction for us.”

Trump's deal claim versus Tehran's official silence

Hours after threatening further attacks, Trump posted on social media that “significant points in the negotiations have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved.” But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei , during a live state television phone call, said mediators were active but nothing had been finalized, according to the AP. The tension has rallied Iran's hard-line base, with nightly rallies organized to project support for a tough stance. Hamid Reza Bani Ebrahimi, a 47-year-old merchant, opposed any agreement that would limit Iran's right to enrich uranium. The open question remains: what exactly has been approved,and is a deal truly imminent when key demands—like lifting the blockade—remain unaddressed?