The identities of the four, all opposed to the current rulers, have been withheld for their safety. Their testimonies, given in defiance of the brutal authorities in Tehran, describe a country at breaking point. And the picture all four paint is eerily similar when it comes to the question of the mood on the streets.
“The feeling of the Iranian people right now is waiting,” said one man, a shop owner, “And this waiting causes depression. Iranian society is very sad at the moment.”
Another source was much more blunt. “Everyone is hopeless and depressed,” he said. Asked whether he felt secure about the near future, his reply was just brief and to the point: “I have no sense of security at all.”
There is some defiance under the fear, and the hope of one day flooding the streets to celebrate the end of the Islamic Republic is strong.
“The people of Iran are worried,” one said, “but they are firmly certain that this government will fall. They are waiting for a good opportunity to come out into the streets.”
Another was cautiously optimistic. He said both he, his family and friends were: “waiting to see what the future holds. Whatever others may think, my view is that the world will come to the conclusion that it has to open channels of communication with Iran. Once the world’s doors open to us, we’ll have a good life.”
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