Talk of war dominates daily life in Tehran as ceasefire deadline nears

Amna Nawaz:

Now, for the view from Tehran, we're once again joined by special correspondent Reza Sayah.

So, Reza, the cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran is shaky, at best, set to expire in another week or so. Tell us what the atmosphere is like in Tehran right now and how worried Iranians are that a war could restart.

Reza Sayah:

Yes, this is a country of 92 million people. They don't have one voice. They don't have one emotion.

But I think if there was one overarching emotion, it would be one of suspense. Why? Because no one here knows what's going to happen in the coming days. They don't know what's going to happen when the cease-fire is over. Is there going to be a war again? Is there going to be an agreement? People simply just don't know.

What I can tell you is, no matter where you go in Tehran, people are talking about this war, this conflict, these negotiations. Everyone has a view, an opinion, a thought about the war, where things stand and what should happen. So everyone's being a political analyst and a war strategist.

I would say many Iranians are naturally worried. They just went through six weeks of bombings and airstrikes. They're worried that that's going to start again. And I think, increasingly, you're hearing many ask the question about Mr. Trump, whether he is in a state of mind that he would actually use a nuclear bomb.

And that's what you hear a lot of people asking. There's a lot of Iranians who are showing support and solidarity for their armed forces. These are staunch supporters of the government and Iranian nationalists who may not have supported the domestic policies of this government, but they did not like the fact that this country was attacked by the U.S. and Israel.

And a lot of people are curious about the opponents of the government, those who wanted U.S. intervention and regime change. And I can tell you, ever since this war started, they've been absent and silent publicly, at least, but no question they're watching too.

Amna Nawaz:

Reza, as we've been reporting, those peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday between Iranian and U.S. officials went over 20 more hours, but they ended with no deal.

And we just saw today President Trump hint that talks could resume within a matter of days. We saw the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also say after meeting with Pakistani officials it was highly probable those talks would resume.

What are you hearing from Iranian officials? Do they want to reengage in peace talks?

Reza Sayah:

They're open to reengaging in peace talks. They're also ready for war again. I think the messaging and the position of Tehran has been remarkably consistent.

They say that they were very close to making progress in the talks in Islamabad. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, explicitly said that they were close to signing a memorandum of understanding, which would be tangible progress.

But according to Mr. Araghchi, Washington moved the goalposts and the talks fell apart. But you get the sense that this negotiating team, this Iranian negotiating team, did not come back to Tehran disappointed, frustrated, and desperate for a deal.

And that speaks to the mistrust Tehran has of Washington. Iran's position is they're willing to discuss and negotiate for a fair agreement, one that recognizes Iran's sovereignty and international right. But Iran's view is that the U.S. doesn't want these type of negotiations.

Tehran has repeatedly suggested the U.S. is being influenced by Israel, that the U.S. wants to demilitarize Iran, they want a servile Iran to a region that's dominated by the U.S. order, and they simply won't give in to those conditions.

Tehran says, if Washington's approach changes, they're willing to negotiate. And we know Tehran says there's been messages exchanged with Washington for the possibility of another round.

Amna Nawaz:

That is special correspondent Reza Sayah reporting for us from Tehran tonight.

Reza, thank you. Good to speak with you.