Why Many Iranians Are Losing Hope After Six Months of War

Iranians have become increasingly desperate, as they grapple with an economic crisis made worse by the conflict and grow increasingly skeptical about President Trump’s motives. By Leily Nikounazar and Yeganeh Torbati When the United States and Israel rained down missiles and bombs on Iran to start their war exactly six months ago today, there were some Iranians who, within a swirl of conflicting emotions, saw in the destruction something unexpected: hope. “The one thing I’m certain about is that I wasn’t sad,” said Negar, a 35-year-old lawyer, describing feelings that were echoed by other Iranians interviewed via voice memos and text messages. “There was anxiety. But there was no grief when the war began.” Six months later, the hope that Negar and other Iranians had that the war might presage a better future is largely gone, replaced with gnawing worries about the future, cynicism about the intentions of the United States and growing desperation from living in a failing economy. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

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