‘Everyone is angry for different reasons’: scepticism in Iran as peace deal nears

In the rural town of Sirik, in southern Iran, temperatures over the past week have climbed to 45C (113F), and residents were still queueing to fill buckets of water days after US strikes reportedly damaged two drinking water facilities serving nearby villages. Amid the water shortages and the looming fear of war came news of a possible deal between Washington and Tehran. But for those struggling to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, the announcement brought little relief. A damaged drinking water reservoir in the Bemani area of Hormozgan province. The message on the wall advises residents not to overuse water. Photograph: Rokna Press “I fear the uncertainty surrounding [the peace deal],” said Nahid*, a mother in Sirik, who described how villagers were queueing for water in the punishing heat, worried the water shortages could last far longer. Although the water supply was restored after 12 hours, the amount reaching households remained nowhere near enough for drinking and daily chores. “My four-year-old woke up crying from dehydration and pain between her legs caused by chafing and the lack of water for basic hygiene,” she said. As the sole earner of her family, Nahid, who works as a sewer, said she feared for her daughter’s health and future. Nahid’s reaction is one of many shared by Iranians across the country as the US and Iran move closer to formally signing a deal . …