A veneer of normality has returned to Tehran, but fears for the future are rife

The Guardian · May 5, 2026 War

From economic woes to concerns that war could break out again at any moment, underlying worries run deep In the weeks since the fragile ceasefire with the US and Israel took hold, life in Tehran has – on the surface at least – largely returned to something like pre-war normality. Many security checkpoints have been taken down, coffee shops are bustling, parks are full of people gathering for picnics, musicians are playing again in the streets, highways are jammed with traffic and the metro - free to use since the war - runs packed. But underlying worries run deep, and many Iranians fear the war could return at any moment.

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