Lyse Doucet: Under fragile ceasefire, Iranians wonder if US deal can be done
Lyse Doucet: Under fragile ceasefire, Iranians wonder if US deal can be done
Spring has pushed almond trees into blooming profusely across the northwestern plains of Iran, where snow-draped mountains frame the landscape. Amid this seasonal shift, a fragile truce has seen increased movement on the roads, allowing more Iranians to return to their homeland. At a Turkish border crossing, a grey-haired banker shared his experience: “I spent a month with my son in Turkey, watching the cold winter snow blanket the border. In my northern city, Israeli and American airstrikes focused on military sites, not homes or civilian areas.”
A War of Wounds and Warnings
The elderly woman, wrapped in a headscarf, spoke with quiet sorrow. “We fear for the youth,” she said, her face creased with anxiety. “Shells have fallen on crowded neighborhoods, and the Basij paramilitary forces patrol the streets, always ready to act.” She added,
“It’s all in God’s hands,”
lifting her gaze toward the sky as if seeking solace. Others, however, fixated on the immediate stakes. “The ceasefire will break,” declared a young woman in a red puffer jacket and knit hat. “Iran won’t surrender its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.”
A Journey Through Ruins and Resilience
As we passed through Turkish customs and entered Iran, a man nearby sighed when asked about the quiet now. “Trump won’t let us rest,” he muttered. “He wants to swallow us whole!” The president’s threat looms large on the 12-hour drive to Tehran, the only viable route since airports remain closed. The road is lined with bridges, their steel spans glinting in the spring sun, but the main bridge linking Tabriz to the capital collapsed under missile fire last week, forcing vehicles to take a detour through winding rural paths.
Trump’s apocalyptic warnings resurface when we stop at a roadside restaurant—a centuries-old caravanserai with vaulted stone ceilings and stained-glass windows. It stands as a relic of Iran’s ancient heritage, even as the country’s theocracy grapples with present challenges. Women’s attire reflects both tradition and defiance: some wear veils, while others, of all ages, choose to go bare-headed, a legacy of the 2022-2023 Woman Life Freedom protests. Yet the regime’s priorities remain centered on survival.
Leaders and Leverage
New banners line the highways, displaying portraits of the three supreme leaders since the 1979 revolution: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The latter, reportedly injured in the war’s opening strikes on February 28, has been absent from public view. Meanwhile, Khamenei’s assassination has sparked debates about his role in shaping Iran’s future strategy, especially in light of recent efforts to mend historic tensions with the US over its nuclear program and emerging concerns about control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Wednesday brought fresh details about a 21-hour meeting in Islamabad between a US delegation, led by Vice-President JD Vance, and Iranian officials, including Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The discussion centered on whether a deal could be reached, as the fragile truce faces uncertainty. Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his readiness to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants in a single hour, though he claimed the goal was not to cause total destruction.
Law and Lament
Legal experts have raised alarms over the targeting of civilian infrastructure, accusing the US and Israel of violating international humanitarian law. The flattened barracks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near Tabriz serve as a stark reminder of the war’s toll. A large flag hangs over the rubble, its tattered edges resembling the concrete teeth of the ruins. Other military bases, police stations, and factories in the region have also been struck, underscoring the broader conflict’s reach.
