In eastern Tehran, Sajjad, a young man in his twenties, stands in front of the twisted iron and shattered concrete that was once his father's home, completely destroyed by bombardment. 'Who will rebuild all this?' he asks, his voice thick with grief.
Sajjad's despair captures the suspended reality of millions in the Iranian capital. A fragile truce between the US and Iran has paused air attacks, but the absence of bombing does not equate to peace. On the streets of Tehran, people live in fear that war could resume at any moment.
'If the war returns tomorrow, everything we build will be a new target,' Sajjad says.
Across the city, recovery is uneven: partially damaged buildings are being repaired, while completely levelled residential blocks remain untouched as owners await international guarantees. Mohammad, a 39-year-old architect, explains that the cost of building a single unit has multiplied in recent months. The US-imposed maritime blockade has further devalued the national currency, while damage to domestic steel companies has driven up material costs.
For 52-year-old Maryam, the housing crisis is acute. Her home near the supreme leader's office was destroyed in the first wave of strikes. Initially placed in a government-funded hotel, she recently received an eviction notice. 'I don't know how we will live in a small apartment that does not resemble our memories,' she says.
In the Navvab Safavi neighbourhood of western Tehran, streets are crowded and markets are relatively busy. Government policies of self-sufficiency have kept basic commodities on supermarket shelves, but residents report severe price fluctuations for essentials like meat, medicine and construction materials. Ashkbous, a 43-year-old administrative employee at the Ministry of Health, notes that daily price fluctuations are worsening the socio-economic situation of the population.
, reports Todayinfo.
