Drivers queue at a petrol station to refuel in Tehran, on Aug. 25, 2026. (Credit: AFP)
Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission.
Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday laid out plans for the "economic asphyxiation" of Iran, saying the "objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime."
Though Iran's leaders have shrugged off the tough talk, having already endured sanctions for decades, some residents of the capital feared that they would feel the pinch.
"Naturally, sanctions affect people's lives. People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak," said realtor Mehdi Yazdian, 55, who urged the authorities to control prices.
"Yes, these sanctions are having an effect, but naturally, our people are resilient. These sanctions have been in place for 47 years."
Iran had already been grappling with sky-high inflation before the war, which fuelled an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January.
Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people.
The government has attributed the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
English teacher Kia Farahani, 45, said similar unrest could lie ahead.
"I personally am not afraid of war at all because this is our land," she said.
"But I think that this war will be more economic and will cause people to feel a lot of pressure, and now maybe there will be protests again."
Iran has carried out a spate of executions related to the winter protests, drawing outrage from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Saeed Laylaz, Tehran-based economic expert, told AFP that the new US measures were of a piece with Trump's so-called "maximum pressure" approach, which he has pursued for years.
"In general, the United States of America has nothing that it can do that had not done before," Laylaz said, noting years of isolation had made Iran's economy largely self-sufficient.
"But I have doubts about the internal governance of the Iranian economy and whether the government is fully capable or prepared to deal with Iran's internal issues, including, for example, fighting corruption, fighting bank imbalances, fighting inflation, (and enacting) timely financial, monetary and economic policies."
