Iranians breathe a ‘ceasefire’ sigh of relief as all sides claim victory
Al Jazeera
Celebration and scepticism coexist in Tehran as ceasefire offers reprieve despite doubts about its durability.
Tehran, Iran – The mental strain of living under daily bombardment has been partially lifted in Tehran and much of Iran as all parties to the war with the United States and Israel claim victory after a ceasefire was announced.
Some traffic has returned to the streets of the Iranian capital during daylight on Wednesday, the first day of a two-week ceasefire agreed between Iran and the US with mediation from Pakistan. Negotiations aimed at reaching a long-lasting agreement are expected to begin in Islamabad on Friday.
But Tehran, home to more than 10 million people, is still far from its usual commotion after being targeted by several thousand munitions since February 28. Air defence systems were activated for short periods several times since the ceasefire was announced overnight, but there were no reports of impacts or any official explanation for the activations.
People across Tehran, from young men and women huddling in vibrant cafes downtown to families sitting in parks, were debating whether the ceasefire would hold and what the future could have in store for them.
“Looks like the ceasefire will continue. I heard the Israelis are opening up their airspace more,” a young man said, referring to an announcement by Israeli authorities that flights will resume from Ben Gurion Airport.
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