Iran International
President Donald Trump’s tougher rhetoric toward Iran and renewed US strikes have stirred mixed reactions among Iranians, from hopes for political change to fears of another long and unresolved conflict after months of living between war and peace.
The responses shared with Iran International and posted on X and Instagram pointed less to enthusiasm for military escalation than to exhaustion after nearly four months of conflict. Many described life in a state of “neither war nor peace,” where even short-term decisions have been put on hold.
They spoke of worsening economic pressure, constant anxiety and tighter security conditions, as the United States and Iran traded a fresh round of attacks on Wednesday and Thursday, throwing their fragile agreement to end the war into deeper doubt.
The US military said it struck about 90 targets across Iran after Trump said the interim deal with Tehran is over for him, citing Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded with strikes on US-linked targets in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, as both sides accused each other of violating the interim agreement.
The Pentagon said it targeted Iranian military sites involved in attacks on commercial shipping.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the US strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including two railway bridges on the route to Mashhad, where authorities planned to bury former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Thursday. Fars said one was the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in Golestan province, part of a northern route to China and Russia that became more important after the US blockade of Iran’s Persian Gulf ports.
Many messages sent to Iran International linked the timing of the strikes to Khamenei’s funeral, saying they disrupted what the Islamic Republic had tried to stage as a show of unity and political continuity.
“I hope this time the war makes a difference and this cancer is removed from the root. We’re all suffering,” one citizen wrote.
Others saw Trump’s tougher language as a sign that diplomacy with Tehran had reached a dead end.
“Should we tell Trump, ‘We told you so,’ or is it still too early?” one message read.
Another wrote: “Mr. Trump seems to have only just realized what kind of creature he is dealing with.”
Several urged Trump not to return to negotiations.
“Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu and NATO leaders, have you realized yet that negotiating with the Islamic Republic is a waste of time?” one message said.
Another person in Tehran wrote: “Mr. Trump, you say bad days are coming for Iran. Come here for one day. If you find even one good day under the Islamic Republic, you’ll see the hell they have created for the people.”
Hope tempered by fear
Despite welcoming Trump's apparent shift away from diplomacy, several said they feared another drawn-out conflict that would deepen economic hardship without bringing meaningful political change.
"Mr. Trump, please stop. We don't know whether to worry about war, inflation, the dollar or our future," one citizen wrote.
Another said: "I'm only worried that war starts again but nothing changes. If war is inevitable, I hope it benefits the people of Iran."
Some openly encouraged stronger military action.
"President Trump, please finish the job quickly. People, don't lose hope. Our day of freedom is near," one message read.
Another added: "I'm a Trump supporter. I like him. He's a superpower that nobody can challenge. But sometimes he goes off script. Please, President Trump, finish the job this time. It's hard living in your own country with a group of criminals."
Others remained skeptical, saying Trump's previous preference for negotiations made them doubt whether the latest strikes would ultimately produce lasting change.
'Mohammad Something' becomes an instant meme
Trump's remarks on Wednesday also generated a wave of satire after he seemingly referred to chief negotiator Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf as "Mohammad something" while describing US surveillance of Iran's nuclear facilities.
The phrase quickly became one of the most widely shared jokes among Persian-language users on X, spawning countless memes aimed at senior Iranian officials.
X user Amin Parvin wrote: "We are living in a state of no war, no peace, no ceasefire and Mohammad Something."
Another user wrote: "Mohammad Something, Mojtaba (Khamenei) Nothing. You've become the laughing stock of the world."
Many directed the joke at Ghalibaf’s page after Trump appeared unable to recall his name.
"Mohammad Something, write your will. Trump didn't even bother learning your surname," one post said.
Another wrote: "Mohammad Something, it looks like this time it's your turn."
Reading Trump's strategy
Beyond the humor, users also debated whether Trump's harsher rhetoric signaled the abandonment of diplomacy or a negotiating tactic designed to force Iranian concessions.
"Trump is playing cat and mouse with them. He doesn't want a full-scale war yet. He's waiting for their response before deciding what to do next," one X user wrote.
Another posted: "I'm genuinely happy Trump is finally seeing their true nature."
Others argued Trump still preferred a negotiated settlement but believed military pressure had become his principal leverage.
"Trump loves being able to say he defeated them without war, so he's trying to disarm them through negotiations," one user wrote. "But their file is closed. Trump himself has said they'll lose their uranium either through negotiations or through war."
