Tehran residents are experiencing fear and insecurity in their daily lives while facing the threat of war. A 37-year-old mother living in Tehran says: "Every time I hear a loud noise, I ask. Even when a door closes, I think bombs are falling." Despite these fears, she sends her children to school.
School Status and Emergency Messages
Schools across Iran remain open despite military tensions with the United States and Israel. However, some parents whose children attend private schools have received messages from those schools explaining the actions to take in the event of war or an emergency. These messages have been widely shared on social media.
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The Iranian Ministry of Education is working to reassure the public and calm them regarding alarming rumors. Ali Farhadi, the spokesperson for the ministry, stated in an interview: "People should not pay attention to rumors that aim to create fear and force schools to close." He emphasized that the ministry will make decisions about the closure or opening of schools in coordination with security officials.
Concerns About Possible Attacks
Meanwhile, state media in Iran have been examining scenarios of a potential nuclear attack. On November 2, Iranian state television broadcast advice on protective measures in the event of a nuclear attack, urging people to stay in shelters for at least 24 hours if such an emergency occurs.
Many in Iran are worried that the United States is preparing to attack "Mount Chakhch"—a underground shelter located 220 kilometers south of Tehran. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has referenced an attack on this site, but has not explicitly mentioned the use of nuclear weapons. The Iranian government also insists that no activities related to its nuclear program are taking place at this shelter.
In recent months, tensions between the United States and Iran have decreased. However, two days after the midterm elections in the United States, a news outlet reported that the U.S. military is finalizing preparations to resume large-scale attacks against Iran. At the same time, some hope that the Democrat-controlled Congress will force Trump to scale back his military ambitions.
Hamidreza Azizi, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, states that they interpret the election results as a victory for themselves, and the Iranian regime's resistance to the Trump administration has contributed to the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections. He also notes that Trump has at least two months before the new Congress begins and may decide to resume attacks against Iran.
In the meantime, Qatari mediators are working to encourage Tehran and Washington to agree on a draft peace agreement to prevent escalating tensions and pave the way for the resumption of direct negotiations in the coming days. However, even reputable journalists in Iran have little information about the content of these negotiations.
Currently, many people in Iran no longer have the energy to follow the news. A 72-year-old retired woman from western Iran says: "I no longer have the capacity to think about this issue. I'm just happy that my three children have emigrated."
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