‘We know who’s losing’: Tehran residents return to ruined city amid fears truce won’t last
April 17, 2026
Iranians contemplate a ruined city, destroyed infrastructure, an economy in turmoil and looming anxiety over the approaching ceasefire deadline
A fragile calm has settled over Tehran, but the deep scars of war remain etched into the city's landscape. In the days following a temporary ceasefire that began on April 8, residents who had fled the weeks-long bombardment are cautiously trickling back. They are returning to a capital disfigured by conflict, where bombed-out buildings stand as grim monuments and rubble still litters many roads. The pause in hostilities has replaced the sound of explosions with a palpable sense of anxiety, as the truce’s deadline approaches and fears grow that the fragile peace will not endure. For many, the return home is not an end to their ordeal but the beginning of reckoning with the immense loss.
The conflict erupted on February 28, 2026, with a series of intense airstrikes by the United States and Israel against military, governmental, and infrastructure targets across the country. Iran responded by launching missiles at Israel and American regional assets, while also disrupting global trade by closing the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. The ensuing weeks saw devastating attacks that left thousands of civilians dead and created a massive humanitarian crisis. United Nations agencies reported that millions of people were internally displaced, a significant number of whom were from Tehran, as airstrikes damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, schools, and hospitals.
For those now navigating their ruined city, the challenges extend far beyond the physical destruction. Residents describe an economy in turmoil and a dire affordability crisis, with the prices of essential goods like food and medicine soaring. The Iranian government's imposition of a near-total internet blackout, which has now lasted for over a month, has severed connections to the outside world and destroyed the livelihoods of many who depended on online work. The atmosphere in the capital remains tense and heavily monitored by security forces, adding to the psychological burden. "I don't know who is winning this war, but we know who's losing," one returning resident named Arash told a reporter. "It's us, ordinary Iranians.".
The current halt in fighting is precarious, stitched together by separate agreements. A two-week truce between the United States and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, is set to expire soon. More recently, a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in Lebanon. A key component of the US-Iran talks was the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday, Iran’s foreign minister announced the waterway was "completely open" for the duration of the truce, a move welcomed by the US but met with conflicting signals from hardline elements within Iran’s own Revolutionary Guards. This internal division highlights the instability of the current diplomatic arrangements.
With the clock ticking on the ceasefire, the future for Tehran’s inhabitants is deeply uncertain. The United States has signaled it will not extend the truce without a "comprehensive and complete" agreement, and has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports to exert pressure. While Iranian state media has publicized rapid repairs to some infrastructure like railways, residents are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered homes and lives, a process expected to take years. They wait in a painful limbo, caught between a ruined present and the terrifying possibility that the bombs may soon begin to fall again.
Source: irishtimes