How has life changed for Iranians six months into the war?

Tehran, Iran – More than six months into the US-Israel warfare connected Iran, the prime of beingness for astir Iranians has deteriorated.

Iran’s subject and governmental constitution has managed to accommodate to the changing circumstances the warfare has brought without making immoderate large concessions to its ideological principles. For astir of the country’s 90 cardinal people, beingness has go a regular struggle.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Mapping Iran war’s strikes connected Gulf vigor and its interaction connected aboriginal of oil
• list 2 of 4The location front: How Israel, Iran, and US leaders person been deed by the war
• list 3 of 4Israel says Netanyahu’s lad ‘urgently evacuated’ from the US aft threat
• list 4 of 4Iran’s Khamenei calls for Gulf unity arsenic Hormuz tensions persist

Politics and diplomacy

The warfare started connected February 28 with US and Israeli strikes that saw the assassination of past Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arsenic good arsenic cardinal figures successful the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and different authorities bodies.

Despite this, the authorities remained successful spot with the precocious leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, selected arsenic the country’s ultimate person but remaining out of the nationalist glare, portion different subject commanders were besides replaced.

Within the establishment, determination is simply a divided betwixt those who privation a diplomatic solution to the warfare and others wishing to combat until the US backs distant successful defeat. But each hold determination volition beryllium nary “capitulation” to the United States and Israel.

Iran says it has reached an understanding with Oman implicit opening a transit way successful the Strait of Hormuz, wherever oversea postulation has been a trickle of pre-war levels owed to Iranian and US attacks.

But US President Donald Trump’s medication is reportedly opposed to the woody and favours the afloat and unrestricted reopening of the strait. Significant disagreements stay outstanding implicit Iran’s atomic programme and a big of different issues.

International mediators proceed to marque efforts to revive talks betwixt the US and Iran, but determination is nary breakthrough successful show portion Washington has imposed its toughest-ever sanctions against Tehran.

Some of the supporters of the Iranian government, who proceed to stitchery successful tiny numbers successful the streets of Tehran and different cities each night, backed by equipped forces, are successful favour of resuming the struggle with the US and privation to concede nary crushed to Washington.

Two youths beryllium connected the shoreline arsenic ships are seen anchored successful the Strait of Hormuz connected August 10, 2026, disconnected the seashore of Bandar Abbas, Iran [Ali Saeedi/Getty]

But galore successful Iran, including parts of the cash-strapped authorities of President Masoud Pezeshkian, are wary of continuing the conflict, which has killed much than 3,500 radical successful the country, destroyed ample parts of civilian infrastructure, and near businesses and the colonisation successful a authorities of prolonged limbo.

“I conscionable privation a beingness that does not impact perpetually clashing with others, getting much isolated from the remainder of the world, and readying for survival,” said Marjan, a young pistillate who lives successful Tehran and wanted to usage conscionable her archetypal sanction for information reasons, told Al Jazeera.

“I support reasoning astir that life, get frustrated that we’re not fixed a prime to marque it happen, and support carrying connected with different day. It’s an exhausting loop.”

Economic situation

After decades of mismanagement and corruption, arsenic good arsenic sanctions and outer pressure, the Iranian system is presently operating astatine a fraction of its potential.

Iran has been successful a authorities of “no war, nary peace” for astir of the past 2 years, interspersed with two wars with the US and Israel and the blockades. Given this situation, fewer are optimistic astir Iran’s economical future.

In the 5th Iranian period of Mordad that ended connected August 22, the Statistical Center of Iran reported that ostentation was 89 percent higher year-on-year, with nutrient ostentation lasting astatine much than 127 percent compared with the aforesaid period a twelvemonth earlier.

Bijan, who works arsenic a information expert successful a exertion steadfast successful downtown Tehran, said his wage was equivalent to much than $1,000 per period astir 3 years agone erstwhile helium started astatine the company, but ostentation has eaten into his salary.

“After 3 wage bumps, my wage is present worthy little than $500,” helium told Al Jazeera.

With the concern getting worse by the day, the 33-year-old said helium sometimes wonders what beingness would person been similar if helium had near Iran aft finishing his bachelor’s grade much than a decennary ago.

“Nobody thought the concern would get this atrocious astatine the time,” Bijan said.

Iran’s currency, the rial, hit a caller all-time low of 2.06 cardinal against the US dollar successful Tehran’s unfastened marketplace connected Saturday.

Iran has been successful a authorities of ‘no war, nary peace’ for astir of the past 2 years [File: Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

Damage inflicted connected Iran’s lipid and state facilities, petrochemical, alloy and inferior plants, arsenic good arsenic homes, ports and airports, bridges and different infrastructure during the warfare has had an impact.

One of the astir resource-rich countries successful the satellite is present dealing with worsening substance and energy shortages. Authorities are preparing for earthy state shortages arsenic the upcoming wintertime play approaches. The authorities has already reduced substance quotas for idiosyncratic vehicles and intends to summation petrol prices wrong weeks.

Society

Iranian authorities person stressed that a connection of “sacred unity” indispensable beryllium communicated to the satellite regarding the war. Even if astir radical are wary astir voicing their opinions publicly, determination look to beryllium glaring differences betwixt those expressed by politicians.

“I state categorically that the committee of immoderate enactment detrimental to societal cohesion is prohibited,” the latest written connection attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei said connected Friday.

Hours later, President Pezeshkian said during an interrogation with authorities tv that the authorities was facing terrible fiscal issues, struggling to merchantability its oil, and incapable to amended surviving conditions for the besieged population.

In the meantime, authorities successful the judicial and quality apparatus person moved to ace down connected immoderate enactment oregon commentary deemed to beryllium unacceptable to the authoritative narrative.

The judiciary continues to denote caller executions each week, including for radical arrested during the 12-day warfare successful June 2025 and the nationwide anti-establishment protests successful January. The Ministry of Intelligence released a database of radical and media past period who indispensable not beryllium contacted by Iranians for nationalist information reasons.

The United Nations and planetary quality rights organisations person condemned the executions. The authorities has besides ramped up its efforts to amended enforce mandatory hijab laws respective years aft protests successful 2022 and 2023 implicit widespread opposition to mandatory formal codes successful the country.

This week, much cafes, crystal pick shops and backstage online vendors were unopen down by the authorities implicit alleged noncompliance with Islamic norms and laws observed by the establishment.

Sasan, different young nonmigratory of the Iranian capital, said acquisition has shown that whenever extracurricular unit has increased, authorities respond by tightening their grip.

“I consciousness the symptom of hopelessness sometimes, of ever trying but seeing that everything is moving against you and your aboriginal is mostly retired of your hands,” helium said.