‘I think I can hold up the business for one month maximum’published at 13:22 BST
13:22 BST
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian
Image source, Getty Images
As the war enters its second month, more issues are starting to come to the surface.
Normally, during the roughly two-week Persian New Year holidays, which began on 21 March, businesses like tourism and hospitality would flourish. But I’ve heard it hasn’t been the same as last year.
A restaurant owner in Tehran, a man in his 30s, told me: “Many businesses are completely shut down now. My situation is not better than theirs. It’s been very quiet, and I think I can hold up the business for one month maximum.”
Some businesses are struggling because of the government-imposed internet outage. Others need to repair their homes after strikes.
A woman in her 20s, who had travelled to a northern province to “distract” herself from the war, said: “My mum called me to tell me that all the glasses of our windows had been shattered when a strike happened behind our house in Tehran. Luckily my parents had blankets on them when it happened, and nothing happened to them.”
There are also those in Tehran suffering with their pets, as the city has seen the heaviest strikes.
A woman in her 20s in Tehran said: “Every time there’s an explosion I feel like I’m going to be sick, and I’ve ended up with a sore throat as well.
“And on top of that, my cat’s more scared than anything. He’s really not coping. He gets so anxious. He’s never usually a cuddly cat, but now he just runs straight into my arms. He doesn’t play at all anymore, he just stays with me all day, just breathing really fast.”