As the 30-day countdown to potential UN sanctions begins, Tehran residents express mixed feelings of defiance and concern. Worshippers at the Grand Mosalla mosque voiced determination to withstand hardship, but some urged the regime to relent and allow UN inspectors into nuclear sites.
Mousavi, a worshipper, warned of an 'economic avalanche' from UN sanctions, which he said differ from previous measures. He argued for compromise: 'We have to let the UN inspectors in. There is probably not much nuclear material for them to see.' Others, like Rajabi Seddequi, insisted sanctions have made Iran more resilient over 40 years and that war is preferable to inspections.
Hardliner sentiments were strong, with Ibrahim Heshmati claiming Iran has missiles capable of reaching Israel and that any future war would go 'all the way to Israel.' Akbar Babaye, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, recalled past victories against multiple adversaries and vowed Israel would be 'completely destroyed' next time.
In Qom, Friday prayer leader Hashem Hosseini Bushehri denounced Israeli oppression and called for resistance. These views highlight the domestic challenge for a divided Iranian government facing European demands for concessions. Radicals in parliament plan to propose withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, a move that would spark internal political battles.
Europe has threatened to snap back sanctions unless the UN nuclear inspectorate is readmitted to all Iranian sites. Tehran says it is willing to negotiate modalities, but western diplomats report no substantive progress. The Iranian foreign ministry insists Europe has no legal basis to act, while diplomats believe Iran fears confirmation that its nuclear programme was destroyed by Israeli bombing, risking public backlash.
