Lyse Doucet: Under Fragile Ceasefire, Iranians Question U.S. Deal’s Feasibility
A Bitter Truce on the Iranian Plains
On the windswept plains of Iran’s northwestern region, where snow-capped hills frame the landscape, the arrival of spring triggers the blooming of almond trees. Amid this seasonal shift, a tenuous ceasefire has slightly eased the flow of traffic along highways, allowing more Iranians to return to their homeland after months of conflict. At a Turkish border crossing, a grey-haired banker recounted his time in Turkey, where he spent a month with his son. “In my city, the strikes mainly targeted military sites, not homes or civilian areas,” he said, reflecting on the devastation of the war paused by a brief truce. Yet, as temperatures dipped beneath a late winter snowfall, the fear of renewed violence lingered.
A Nation in Transition
While the ceasefire brings a semblance of calm, it is far from enduring. A young woman in a vibrant red puffer jacket and knitted hat asserted, “The truce won’t last.” She emphasized Iran’s resolve to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway central to global oil trade. Further along, a man in the customs hall remarked on Trump’s persistent threats, stating, “He won’t leave Iran alone; he wants to consume us whole.”
Traces of War and Resilience
As the journey to Tehran unfolds, the damage of recent attacks becomes evident. A bridge between Tabriz and the capital, collapsed by missile fire, forces vehicles onto serpentine rural roads. The US president’s vow to destroy all of Iran’s bridges in an hour — a stark warning — is recalled during a stop at a roadside restaurant. The caravanserai, a centuries-old travelers’ inn, now stands as a testament to Iran’s ancient heritage, its stone arches and stained-glass windows contrasting with the war-torn scenery.
Legal Scholars and Moral Concerns
Targeting civilian infrastructure has sparked backlash from legal experts, who argue that such actions may breach international humanitarian law. Despite US and Israeli claims that their strikes focus on military sites, the flattened barracks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tabriz tell a different story. A tattered flag draped over the ruins symbolizes both loss and defiance. Other installations, including factories and police stations, have also been hit, underscoring the war’s broad impact.
The Shadow of Leadership
Banners stretching across highways now honor the three supreme leaders since the 1979 revolution: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains absent from public view after being injured in the war’s initial strikes. The theocracy’s focus remains on navigating the aftermath of this conflict, as well as the historic efforts to mend ties with its long-standing adversary over nuclear agreements. Yet, the struggle for women’s rights, ignited by the 2022-2023 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, persists in the face of ongoing restrictions.
“It’s all in God’s hands,” murmured an elderly woman in a headscarf, her expression etched with concern. “The young suffer the most — from the shells and the Basij forces who patrol the streets.”
Amid these tensions, the question lingers: Can the US and Iran reach a lasting agreement, or will the fragile ceasefire give way to renewed hostilities?
