Some Tehran residents are bullish about withstanding the hardship sanctions would cause but others say the regime should relent
A
s the worshippers streamed into the vast Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran to hear a call to prayer, the mood was one of determination, and some trepidation, as they faced the real prospect of UN sanctions in 30 days and even a rerun of the 12-day war with Israel.
With guards watching, a worshipper giving his name simply as Mousavi said: “The reality is that many countries have nuclear power and are not subject to these rules but Iran is singled out for controls because we oppose Israel. We are dealt with in a different way because of our foreign policy.
“But an economic avalanche is looming with these UN sanctions – they are very different from what has happened before – and that means even more economic adversity will only impoverish us more. So I think we have to relent a little. We have to let the UN inspectors in. There is probably not much nuclear material for them to see.”
