Iran International
Despite continued uncertainty over the outcome of the Iran-US talks, signs that some Iranians are positioning for a possible diplomatic breakthrough are emerging in markets, public debate and government-linked circles.
One of the clearest indicators has come from Iran’s real-estate market, traditionally viewed as one of the safest destinations for capital during periods of uncertainty. According to Tehran-based media, a growing number of property listings have been withdrawn in recent days.
Estate agents told local newspapers that many owners have instructed them to pause sales, believing that easing tensions and the possibility of a diplomatic opening could push prices higher. Similar behavior has been reported in parts of the rental market.
Sharq reported that some owners had previously hesitated to sell amid conflicting signals from Washington and uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s statements, fearing renewed volatility.
Financial markets have also responded. Reports from both sides about a possible memorandum of understanding have helped lift sentiment on the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Expectations were further fueled after chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati traveled to Doha, where Tehran hopes to secure access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.
At the same time, some analysts have begun debating the structure of a potential agreement as though its broad outlines are already taking shape.
Former diplomat Kourosh Ahmadi argues that while a deal could benefit Iran, particularly if it results in sanctions relief without major additional nuclear concessions, the two-stage format reportedly under discussion carries significant risks.
He warned that a phased agreement could prolong the uncertainty that has weighed on Iran’s economy for years because the success of an initial understanding would depend on reaching a later nuclear settlement.
Ahmadi said a more effective approach would have been “a single, comprehensive package negotiated over a defined period as a final settlement that ends 25 years of uncertainty for Iran and its people.”
He also contended that the emerging framework suggests Trump’s primary objective remains Iran’s nuclear program rather than broader issues such as missiles or regional alliances.
Whether such assessments prove correct or not, they have contributed to a growing perception that a narrower agreement may be more achievable than previously thought.
The government’s recent decision to lift the 88-day internet blackout has also been interpreted by many activists, technology analysts and political commentators as a sign that officials expect a period of reduced tension.
Some critics argue, however, that the move is intended to ease public frustration at a sensitive political moment, while others see it as preparation for possible concessions in negotiations with Washington.
Still, among many politically engaged Iranians, the restoration of connectivity has been viewed less as a technical decision than as a political signal. In a political environment where even minor policy shifts are closely scrutinized, the move has reinforced perceptions that officials believe the country may be entering a less confrontational phase.
Whether those expectations prove justified remains unclear. What is clear is that many Iranians are increasingly behaving as though a diplomatic opening may be approaching—even if few are ready to assume it is guaranteed.
Tehran’s unveiling of a towering statue depicting the Roman Emperor Valerian kneeling before pre-Islamic Persian King Shapur I has renewed criticism of the Islamic Republic’s appeal to nationalist sentiment following the June war with Israel.
For over forty years, the theocracy purged ancient Persian history from schoolbooks, replacing it with post-Islamic narratives. But after the 12-day conflict with Israel, officials have turned to the distant pre-Islamic past to rally a divided society.
From murals of ancient kings and soldiers to patriotic songs added to Shi’ite mourning ceremonies performed before Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran now embraces imagery once deemed heretical by its own revolutionary ethos.
'Kneel before Iran' campaign
Tehran’s Revolution (Enghelab) Square was the scene of an unusual spectacle on Friday as officials unveiled a massive bronze statue depicting Roman Emperor Valerian kneeling in submission before Sassanid King Shapur I, commemorating Iran’s victory at the Battle of Edessa (260 AD).
The event was held under the slogan “Kneel before Iran,” part of what authorities describe as a campaign to project “national unity and historical pride” following the June war with Israel.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, a staunch ultraconservative, said on X: “Enmity with Great Iran can only end in kneeling before this historic nation.”
Municipal official Davood Goodarzi said the installation would be accompanied by visual displays depicting “other victories of Iranians over foreign aggressors,” including the defeat of British forces by local commander Rais-Ali Delvari, Mirza Kuchak Khan’s resistance against Russian troops, and Surena’s triumph over Rome at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BCE.
The goal, Goodarzi said, is “strengthening concepts such as national dignity, social unity, and Iranian identity.”
The statue, he said, would remain temporarily at Revolution Square before being moved to a city gateway “where it will stand as the first emblem of Iran before diplomats and foreign visitors.”
Unveiled women were allowed to attend the unveiling ceremony—an uncommon scene at events organized by Tehran’s ultra-hardline municipality.
The turn to the pre-Islamic past
The sharp reversal also recalls remarks once made by Khamenei. In a 2011 speech, he asserted that “all the great military victories of this nation came after Islam,” dismissing pre-Islamic accounts as “things that are not documented.”
In 1987, he had said that prophets triumphed over kings such as Cyrus and that “nothing remains of these monarchs in history but names remembered with derision.”
Nevertheless, pro-government social media accounts have now gone so far as to circulate posters equating Khamenei himself with Shapur, showing him standing with a staff as Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump kneel before him. The caption reads: “You will kneel before Iran.”
'Hypocrisy'
Pro-government figures have hailed the move as a patriotic success. Conservative political reporter Hossein Saremi posted: “Today’s grand Iranian gathering showed that people and the state share one essence: Iran itself. Nothing can take our homeland away.”
Others, however, called the spectacle “hypocrisy.” Journalist Gholamhossein Pashaei wrote on X: “Every year you close Pasargadae to stop people from celebrating Cyrus Day, yet you unveil Shapur’s statue in Enghelab Square with drums and fireworks during Fatimiyya (mourning period)!”
Dissident commentator Hamid Asafi called the ceremony “a perfect snapshot of the Islamic Republic’s contradictions.”
On Telegram he wrote: “A week ago they closed Cyrus’s tomb out of fear of the crowds, and now they glorify Shapur in the same breath. The Islamic Republic fears living history but poses for selfies with its corpse.”
He added: “They know people no longer respond to rosaries and sermons. That’s why they’ve brought history back to the stage—in a controlled costume. If they can’t erase the past, they’ll try to own it.”
The irony deepened as UNESCO formally recognized Cyrus’s Charter as one of the earliest human-rights documents.
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: “Iran, the cradle of dialogue, justice, and coexistence, can still inspire peace today.”
Users swiftly replied, questioning how such pride could coexist with a government that blocks access to Cyrus’s tomb each year to those wishing to visit it on his birthday.
