Key facts
- Iranians are experiencing growing anxiety and preparing for potential conflict.
- Escalating threats from Israeli and U.S. leaders precede upcoming elections.
- Economic hardship, including currency devaluation and high inflation, is widespread.
- Iran has threatened new targets and faces a U.S. naval blockade restricting oil exports.
Many Iranians are bracing for a potential return to all-out war as threats from Israeli and U.S. leaders escalate ahead of upcoming elections. Residents in Tehran are experiencing growing anxiety, with some preparing to leave the capital due to fears of increased conflict and economic hardship. Iran's leadership remains defiant despite mounting pressure and has accused the U.S. of disrupting negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a close vote Tuesday, stated Iran's leadership must be eliminated. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to "finish the job" in Iran, deploying a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops to the region, with some fearing attacks just after the U.S. midterms on November 3.
Tehran residents described growing anxiety, with some preparing to leave the capital. Iran's president accused the U.S. of disrupting negotiations that have shown little sign of progress for months. Fereshteh Hajipour, 35, a mother of a toddler, said she was stockpiling medicines and food for fear of "possible war and bigger bombs."
Sasan Karimi, a foreign policy professor at the University of Tehran and former government official, said Iran's leadership believes Trump will likely order new strikes regardless of the midterm election results and is planning for such scenarios. Iran has threatened new targets, including undersea data cables in the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on commercial ships have reached their highest number this month since the war's opening weeks.
A U.S. naval blockade has restricted Iran's oil exports, exacerbating economic pain. Iranians have experienced significant currency devaluation and soaring inflation, impacting purchasing power. Iranian officials accused the U.S. of fomenting unrest through economic warfare. President Masoud Pezeshkian described Iran as facing "a dangerous turning point" amid economic challenges.