Iranians are flocking to stylish cafes in the capital, as they look for respite from soaring inflation and the specter of renewed war with the U.S.
“Cafes offer a chance to unwind, to escape the stress of exorbitant prices, war and anxiety-inducing news,” said Mitra Alipour, celebrating her birthday at a coffee shop in Tehran.
Since the start of the Middle East conflict, triggered in late February by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, “everything has become more expensive,” the 28-year-old told AFP.
She regrets that she can no longer travel or afford a new phone, but she can at least get a coffee.
“How do I know if I’ll still be able to afford it next year? So I tell myself I’ll make the most of it and treat myself, while I still can,” she added.
In downtown Tehran, cafes are constantly packed — a striking sight for a country grappling with Western sanctions and an economic slump exacerbated by the war.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the U.S.-backed shah, and more recently has applied further economic pressure.
Yet upscale cafes near shopping malls stocked with Western products remain a common sight along Fereshteh Street, in the city’s north.
As night falls, groups of young people and couples head to cafes to unwind and socialize, just meters from Valiasr Avenue, known as the Champs-Elysees of Tehran.
Headscarves are less conspicuous among women in these fashionable neighborhoods, despite compulsory hijab rules introduced after the revolution established clerical rule.
