Iranians, like other people in the Middle East, are preparing for the possibility of war. This comes after weeks of US-Iran tensions.
“As president, I will make peace wherever I can – but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” US President Donald Trump said Tuesday during his State of the Union address. Some see this as laying out the case for war with Iran.
Iranian state media is focused on the possibility of conflict as well.
Iran’s foreign minister has said an agreement is within reach via diplomacy, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news agency, reported.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister made a similar statement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has met with Iranian diplomats as well, suggesting he hopes diplomacy will prevail.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei “has dismissed claims about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the number of people killed during recent unrest as ‘big lies,’ saying fabricated narratives are being used to advance a hostile propaganda campaign against the nation,” IRNA reported.
Meanwhile, Iranians are preparing for what might come next. Al Ain News, a UAE-based news site, has documented how Iranians are preparing emergency kits and even escape plans in case of attack.
“Amid signs of escalation, Iranians are experiencing varying levels of preparedness, ranging from packing emergency kits and making escape plans to simply observing and waiting,” Al Ain News reported.
Iranians face growing anxiety despite normal daily life
Daily life seems normal in most cities, and “with markets overflowing with goods and no signs of shortages of food or basic supplies, the reality reveals a heavy sense of anticipation among residents awaiting news of an imminent US attack,” the report said.
Al Ain News cited a New York Times report that examined how Iranians are preparing in their daily life. Some Iranians “have entered a state of paralysis due to anxiety that prevents them from taking any action,” the report said.
One businessperson was quoted as saying: “Everything seems so surreal. I feel lost. I’m not even preparing for emergencies. All I want is for this to end.”
Outward appearances on the streets of Tehran have not changed, but there is internal anxiety.
“Iranians are exchanging tips online about how to prepare for the worst, with some posts encouraging people to write down emergency numbers for loved ones and identify gathering places, in anticipation of Internet and communications outages, as happened during the June war and last month’s protests,” Al Ain News reported.
Many Iranians are financially strapped and can’t afford to stockpile food. Inflation is a problem, as is a weak currency.
“Basic necessities such as meat, poultry, and eggs have become unaffordable for many families, and some residents say their relatives are forced to choose between paying rent or buying food,” the report said.
The government also is not preparing for war, and only limited steps have been taken, it said, adding: “Local planning experts have warned that metro stations and parking lots need heating, ventilation, and sanitary facilities, and there is no publicly available information indicating that these measures are being taken.”
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned protesters not to cross “redlines,” Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Arab News reported.
Iranian officials also have claimed that reports about Iran’s ballistic-missile arsenal are “disinformation,” the report said.
As Iran tries to avoid war, it is clear that for average Iranians, the challenges at home are similar to others in the region, including Israelis, who also have to live under the daily stress and cloud of war.