INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Weary from long years of biting sanctions and worried about United States threats of military action, Iranians have responded to the
prospect of talks this weekend with expressions of hope that have boosted their stock market and depressed currency, Reuters reported.
The
United States -Iranian talks in Oman are to address the long dispute between Iran and the West over its nuclear programme, though Iranian
officials are sceptical of progress and United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb if no deal is reached.
Many
people in Iran to whom Reuters spoke by phone remained pessimistic about the future
But even the slim chance of a deal with an unpredictable United States president who has often boasted of his negotiating skills has given
some people a little optimism.
Trump announced the talks on Monday
By Wednesday Irans rial currency, which had sunk to a record low of 1,050,000 to the dollar and whose value often tracks Irans geopolitical
shifts, had strengthened slightly to 999,000 to the dollar.
Tehrans stock exchange rose by 2.16% on Tuesday, its best performance since
January, as investors shifted from safe havens in gold and foreign currency to domestic shares
The market had risen by another 1.1% in early trading on Wednesday.
Iran has had tense relations with Western powers and other major
countries for much of the decades since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, particularly since 2003 when the dispute over its uranium enrichment
programme moved to centre stage, read the report.
For years, we have suffered over this dispute
It is time to end this standoff
We want to live a normal life with no hostilities and particularly no economic pressure, said Amir Hamidian, a retired government employee
in Tehran.
I dont want my country to be bombed … Life is already too expensive
My purchasing power is shrinking every day, said the father of three, whose monthly salary equates to about $120.
Despite their tough
rhetoric, the Islamic Republics clerical establishment feels compelled to agree to talks because of fears that anger over the deteriorating
economy could spark protests, four Iranian officials told Reuters in March.
Economists believe that sanctions relief could lower import
costs and boost export prices for Iranian firms, but wary investors are sticking to short-term bets amid doubt over the outcome of the talks
scheduled for Saturday.
Many ordinary Iranians, who have seen repeated fruitless efforts to resolve the governments standoff with the West,
voiced little faith in the outcome of the discussions, Reuters reported.
Minou, a 32-year-old housewife and mother of two in the central
city of Isfahan, was pessimistic.
There will be no deal
There is a huge gap between the sides
Trump is going 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 if the United States or Israel
attack Iran, she said.
Trump has signalled the renewal of his maximum pressure approach to Tehran, which during his first term in 2017-21
helped crash Irans economy with sanctions on its oil exports though it has also found ways to evade the embargo.
President Masoud Pezeshkian
has repeatedly said the sanctions have made Irans economic problems more challenging even than during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
I am
Just reach a deal and end our misery, said Mahsa, 22, a university student in the northern city of Sari.
Since 2017, Iranians have staged
periodic nationwide demonstrations over poor living standards, calling for regime change.
But some hardliners are putting their faith in
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in the Islamic Republics complex power structure has the final say on matters of state.
Our
Supreme Leader is fully aware of the situation and he will lead us out of trouble
Whatever he decides, we will support it, said Mohammad Amin Hosseini, 27, from the northeastern city of Mashhad.
The post Anxious Iranians
hope nuclear talks may ease risk of US attack first appeared on TINS News.
