Iran's civilians bear the weight of a widening war as Tehran signals peace conditions

More than seven months into the US-Israel war on Iran, the daily reality for Iranian civilians has become a grinding battle for survival — with economic collapse, a naval blockade, and the constant threat of strikes reshaping life from the Persian Gulf coast to the streets of Tehran. This week, as hundreds of thousands rallied in the capital in a show of defiance, Tehran quietly signalled its terms for ending the conflict through Qatari mediators, raising questions about whether a diplomatic path remains open.

The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes that killed then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and key IRGC commanders, has fundamentally altered the lives of Iran’s 90 million people. According to a detailed account published by Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera, Aug 30), the quality of life has deteriorated sharply. The government has held together without major ideological concessions, but for ordinary Iranians, daily life is a struggle.

A vivid example comes from Khadijeh Bandari, a 28-year-old fisherwoman from Hengam Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, she and her husband ran a small guesthouse and restaurant, selling fresh fish via Instagram. "The sea belongs to us women just as much as it belongs to men," she told Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera, Sep 2). The war shattered that: internet shutdowns in January decimated their online sales, and on February 28, the sound of American bombs reached the island. A coastguard ordered them to stay away from the beach. Bandari now fears for her three-year-old son Keyhan, whose name means "the world."

Her story reflects a broader pattern. Since the war began, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to a trickle — an average of 10 commodity ships per day in early September, the lowest since May, according to data from Kpler cited by Qatari officials (Al Jazeera, Sep 8). The US naval blockade and Iranian retaliatory attacks have made fishing, tourism, and trade nearly impossible for coastal communities.

The economic pressure is compounded by sanctions. On September 19, President Donald Trump extended sanctions on Iran, while thousands rallied in Sanaa in support of the Houthis (Al Jazeera, Sep 19). Iran’s oil minister, Mohsen Paknejad, described the blockade as "difficult but manageable," claiming the industry continues to "circumvent" it (Al Jazeera, Sep 4). But for ordinary Iranians, the cost is visible in soaring prices, disrupted supply chains, and a shrinking job market.

On Friday, September 18, the government staged the largest rally since the war began, with hundreds of thousands marching in Tehran. Iranian authorities claimed 313,000 attended, though the figure could not be independently verified. The rally unveiled a new volunteer force, the "Janfada-ye-Iran" (Those who sacrifice their lives for Iran), with over 600,000 registered for training, according to the IRGC chief in Tehran (Al Jazeera, Sep 18). President Masoud Pezeshkian attended, and the Basij militia’s head told participants they would be a "nightmare" for enemies.

Yet behind the defiance, there are signs of diplomatic movement. On September 20, Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, told Al Jazeera that Tehran has conveyed its conditions for ending the war to the White House via Qatari mediators. The demands: an end to the war on all fronts, release of frozen Iranian assets, and lifting of the US naval blockade (Al Jazeera, Sep 20). This comes after weeks of contradictory signals: Trump claimed on September 17 that the US is "nearing the end of the war" and that Tehran was in direct talks (Al Jazeera, Sep 17), while the US also ruled out talks unless ship attacks stop (Al Jazeera, Sep 4).

The regional conflict has also widened. The Houthis now control the Red Sea coast of Yemen, and on September 12 a drone attack originating in Iraq shut down Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline (Al Jazeera, Sep 12). Saudi Arabia halted oil loadings at Yanbu port (Al Jazeera, Sep 16). Meanwhile, a report on September 18 found "reasonable grounds" that the US was behind a deadly strike on a school in Minab in February that killed civilians (Al Jazeera, Sep 18). Iran’s health minister said earlier this month that 18 people, including two children, had died in US attacks (Al Jazeera, Sep 3).

For the civilian population, the question is whether the peace conditions conveyed via Qatar will gain traction. A split within the Iranian establishment between those favouring diplomacy and those wanting to fight until the US backs down remains unresolved (Al Jazeera, Aug 30). As Rezaei put it, there will be no talks until demands are met — but the people of Hengam Island, and millions like them, cannot wait much longer.