"The general feeling in Iran is that the worst is over."

BarcelonaCommunication is difficult. The internet connection keeps cutting out, making WhatsApp conversations difficult. However, she doesn't give up and calls again and again. At least now she can communicate with the outside world, after three days of a total blockade that left Iran completely isolated from the world. She's speaking from Karaj, a city about 40 kilometers northwest of Tehran, where she fled like many other Iranians when Israeli bombings began in the capital.

This morning, by chance, I was awake when The United States has bombed nuclear bases from Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. "Subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen on Iranian state television to report the news, and then the broadcaster's deputy political director spoke live to exaggerate the issue," he explains. However, this Sunday morning, no major authority addressed the population or reported on the attack. It was total silence, as if nothing had happened. Furthermore, he assures, some Iranian cities have begun to return to a certain degree of normality.

Days ago, however, the chaos in the country was total. Tehran, with some nine million inhabitants, was almost deserted. "I couldn't say exactly how many people left, but I would say more than half of the population fled. There were almost no cars on the streets and all the shops were closed," he explains. Many moved to towns in the north of the country, near the Caspian Sea, such as Amol, Nowshahr, Chalus, Ramsar, Babol, and Babolsar. Rent prices there skyrocketed, but many people also offered their homes altruistically through social media to shelter people fleeing the country.

Cyberattacks

"There were long lines at bakeries and gas stations, and fuel was rationed: each car could only fill up with 20 liters," he continues. And prices generally went up: bread, chicken, meat, and fruit are now much more expensive than a week ago. But what further complicated the situation was a cyberattack against the three main financial institutions operating in Iran: Sepah, Pasargad, and Mellat. "Bank cards didn't work, nor did the apps, and you couldn't withdraw money," he laments.

Primary schools had already finished classes when Israel began its offensive against the country on June 13, so they were not affected. But high school and university students still had to take exams. "At first, it was said they would take them online, but since the internet also stopped working later, I don't know if they were able to take the exams." From Wednesday to Saturday, the internet connection was completely blocked. Iranian authorities initially attributed it to another cyberattack, but on Saturday they claimed they had ordered it themselves in order to intercept Israeli drones.

The water supply has been maintained despite the repeated attacks, and power outages were already common in Iran before the start of the offensive. "In Tehran, we already had power outages of two or three hours a day, so we haven't noticed any change in that regard," she says.

After a week off work, many Iranians returned to work this Sunday. "The authorities announced that work would resume on Saturday and that people should return to work. In fact, many people have started returning to Tehran." However, some shops remain closed and the administration is operating at half speed.

"The general feeling is that the worst is over, and that the war will soon be over," says this Iranian woman. She says many are disappointed because they had hoped for the fall of the regime, but others hope for a return to normality as soon as possible. Even if it's a normality that doesn't quite weigh them down.