TEHRAN, June 15 (Xinhua) -- For Reza, a 34-year-old taxi driver in Tehran, June 15 was an ordinary Monday. He washed his car in the morning, drove out, and made his way to Enghelab Square, waiting for his first passenger. Everything was as it had been.
But for the city itself, the day carried a special significance. To the outside world, Tehran had become a focal point. In the early hours of the morning, the United States and Iran announced that, after more than three months of conflict, they had finally reached an agreement to end hostilities.
Yet while much of the world welcomed the ceasefire as a long-awaited step toward stability in the Middle East, many in Tehran, having lived through repeated waves of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes over the past year, found little immediate reassurance.
"If people had been through what we've been through, they would know that American promises alone are not enough to bring real peace," Reza said. "Talk of celebration feels like too much. We just want to get on with our lives."
Reza's doubts were not without basis. A year ago, the United States suddenly carried out strikes on Iran while talks were still underway. The latest war also broke out in the midst of negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Both rounds of conflict had inflicted heavy losses on Iran and destroyed what little trust remained in the United States.
"This memorandum does not signify trust in the enemy. The memorandum was drafted with no confidence in it," said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, while confirming the agreement with the United States.
Looking out over the square, Reza told Xinhua, "We should wait and see if the two sides will be able to eventually reach a final agreement, and then, I think, we can make sure that sanctions against Iran will be lifted and U.S. harm will stop."
Amid lingering suspicions, many Iranians were quietly hoping that the deal might still become a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel.
"More than 47 years of hostility cannot be resolved overnight," said Asghar Sorkhin, a 47-year-old storekeeper. "This is the same administration that scrapped the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed the harshest sanctions on Iranians."
While stressing that the agreement could not yet be counted as a cause for celebration, Sorkhin admitted to mixed feelings, saying that if the United States keeps its promises this time, the Iranians "will be able to feel some relief."
In a Tehran hospital, Maryam, a 30-year-old nurse, was busy preparing medication for patients and handling her daily duties.
Expressing cautious optimism about the peace and future talks between Iran and the United States, Maryam said, "Although it is unwise to trust others with closed eyes, it is even more unwise to trust no one at all."
"I believe that Iran should proceed with the diplomatic process, but with caution. The war and the U.S. naval blockade have had their adverse impacts on our lives and need to be stopped," Maryam added.
The nurse said that before a final, comprehensive agreement is reached, she would not celebrate but would continue living normally and remain vigilant, which she said was "a good revenge for what the United States has done to us."
Speaking about her assessment of the future situation, Maryam said, "I have faith in our officials and believe that they will protect our national interests and dignity."
In the streets of Tehran, cars kept moving as usual, and people held to their familiar routines. The weather was as bright as ever. There were no cheers, no celebrations.
This was what Tehran looked like on the first day after the agreement was reached: a city carrying on at its own pace, waiting for whatever might come next.
