Myth of liberation: As war rages, trapped Iranians 'curse' the regime, the Americans & the Israelis

Correspondent Borzou Daragahi reports that ordinary Iranians are experiencing deep isolation and resignation rather than hope as conflict intensifies, even as the country observes Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Media blackouts and communication disruptions have fractured social cohesion and left civilians focused on survival rather than political change. External messaging about "liberation" has lost resonance among a population trapped between multiple belligerents and unable to access reliable information. The psychological toll manifests not as visible resistance but as fatigue and a sense of entrapment—a stark contrast to narratives of emancipation circulating from abroad. For Iranians, the war has narrowed their world to immediate, daily hardship.