While many continue to hope for new economic opportunities, some say a final agreement will only benefit the ruling elite
In a city that has borne the effects of sanctions and international isolation for over a decade, the indefinite conclusion of Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group yielded mixed reactions in Tehran: Businessmen made cautiously optimistic predictions about the market, establishment-wary activists warned of opaque economic currents, and the city’s taxi drivers, overworked and underpaid, made the same cynical predictions they made when the 5+1 talks began over one year ago.
In an all-girls’ third-grade civics class which gives young pupils snippets of insight into the workings of Iranian political structure, a pupil asked the teacher about the role of foreign affairs minister Javad Zarif. When the other children chimed in with questions about the nuclear talks, the teacher gave a simple answer: “Mr Zarif will save us.”