Iranians' Perspectives on the Islamic Republic's Negotiations with the U.S.; Anxiety, Hope, or Pessimism?

As negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are set to take place on April 23 in Oman, Reuters reports on the outlook of these talks from the perspective of Iranian citizens. Reuters states: Iranians, weary from years of prolonged sanctions and concerned about U.S. threats of military action, are following the weekend negotiations with hope; negotiations that have led to a surge in the stock market and an increase in currency value. The focus of the Oman negotiations is addressing the long-standing dispute between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, although Iranian officials are skeptical about progress in this area, and U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened that Iran will be bombed if no agreement is reached. Many Iranians interviewed by Reuters express pessimism about the future, but even the slim chance of an agreement with an unpredictable U.S. president, who often boasts about his negotiation skills, has made some individuals somewhat optimistic. Donald Trump announced the negotiations on Monday, April 18. The value of Iran's currency, which had reached its lowest level of 105,000 tomans per U.S. dollar, slightly strengthened on Tuesday, dropping below 100,000 tomans. The Tehran Stock Exchange rose by 2.16% on Tuesday, marking its best performance since January, as investors shifted from safe havens of gold and foreign currency to domestic stocks. This market further increased by 1.1% in early trading on Wednesday. Iran has had tense relations with Western powers and other major countries in the decades following the 1979 revolution, especially since 2003, when the dispute over Tehran's uranium enrichment program came to the forefront. Amir Hamidian, a retired government employee in Tehran, told Reuters: 'We have been suffering from this conflict for years. It is time to end this deadlock. We want a normal life without enmity and especially without economic pressure.' He, a father of three, added: 'I don't want my country to be bombed... Life has become much more expensive than before. My purchasing power is decreasing day by day.' Four Iranian officials told Reuters in March that the clerical regime, despite its harsh rhetoric, is compelled to agree to negotiations out of fear that worsening economic conditions could lead to protests. Economic experts believe that lifting sanctions could reduce import costs and strengthen export prices for Iranian companies, but cautious investors, amid uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the planned negotiations for Saturday, have pinned their hopes on short-term bets. Many ordinary Iranians, who have witnessed repeated fruitless attempts to resolve the deadlock between Iran and the West, have little faith in the outcome of the negotiations. Mina, a 32-year-old housewife and mother of two from Isfahan, is pessimistic about the negotiations' outcome. She said: 'No agreement will be reached. There is a huge gap between the parties. Trump intends to bomb us. What should we do? Where should we go? I have withdrawn all my savings from the bank to have cash at home in case of an attack by the U.S. or Israel on Iran.' Donald Trump has put returning to a 'maximum pressure' policy toward Tehran on his agenda, an approach that during his first term from 2017 to 2021 led to sanctions on oil exports and a collapse of Iran's economic indicators, although Tehran has found ways to evade sanctions. Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's president, has repeatedly stated that sanctions have made the country's economic problems more challenging than even during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Mahsa, a 22-year-old university student in Sari, said: 'I am worried to death. Enough is enough. Just reach an agreement and end our misery.' Since December 2017, Iranians have held periodic nationwide protests in response to poor living standards, calling for 'regime change.' However, some hardliners have faith in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, believing that he has the final say in the complex power structure of the Islamic Republic regarding the country's affairs. Mohammad Amin Hosseini, a 27-year-old from Mashhad, said: 'The Supreme Leader is fully aware of the situation and will get us out of our problems. Whatever he decides, we will support it.'