Iranians are living between confusion and exhaustion as the country and its economy are squeezed between war and multiplying crises at home. Strikes on steel and petrochemical industries and energy infrastructure earlier in the war spurred a wave of business closures and job losses in Iran, where people now struggle to afford everyday groceries in the face of triple-digit food inflation. Many business owners are struggling to survive. The cratering economy and the threat of more war have left many people desperate for an end to the turmoil and deeply anxious about the future.

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Indonesian soldiers block student protesters during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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A student protester holds up a mask of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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Police officers block student protesters during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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Student protesters tear down a police barricade during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

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A student protester kicks a police barricade during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

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Pro-government Iranian demonstrators wave their country's flags and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group flags in a gathering in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)