Iranians navigate rumor and fear amid war and tight information limits

Ordinary people living in Iran have little information about the course of the war and international peace talks, DW reported. With few reliable news sources, residents are forced to navigate conflicting rumors and fears of a nuclear attack. DW spoke to a 37-year-old mother in Tehran who described a constant sense of fear, stating that she flinches even when a door slams because she thinks bombs are falling. [1]

Despite the ongoing conflict, schools remain open across Iran. The Tehran resident told DW that her children are attending school because keeping them at home out of fear is not a solution, adding that they would go stir-crazy in their small apartment. [1]

The 2026 Iran war, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has led to what the International Energy Agency characterized as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. The conflict has caused supply shortages, currency volatility, inflation, and heightened risks of stagflation. [2]

A market analysis by MCB Group placed the disruption alongside four earlier oil-market shocks, noting that initial price spikes in such events were larger than the eventual sustained increase. Historical surveys show that oil prices declined within about nine months of the initial spike during the 1990 to 1991 Gulf War. [2]