Iranian Teacher Adapts to Online Classes and Price Increases During Conflict

A 47-year-old teacher in central Tehran now conducts classes from a cramped apartment after universities and schools were bombed and distance learning became the norm. The teacher, identified only as Mehran, said the national internet remains available but has weakened under heavy use, causing frequent disconnections during lessons on the domestic "Shad" platform.

His 14-year-old daughter uses an old tablet for her classes while his eight-year-old son shares a smartphone with limited signal near a window.

Mehran travels to a pharmacy where many essential medicines have been unavailable for more than a month. Prices for both domestic and imported drugs have increased sharply, now consuming a quarter of his salary compared with seven percent before the conflict.

At the Jomhouri electronics market, television prices have risen by 40 to 60 million rials, roughly matching the drop in the rial's value against the U.S. dollar. A vendor at the market said transportation became free after the conflict began, but food and other goods grew unaffordable.

In the evenings, Mehran joins hundreds of people at a square near Tehran University to chant slogans and sing in support of the state and armed forces. He said the nightly meetings provide a sense of community after other routines were disrupted. "These gatherings make us feel like we are all in the same trench," he said.

The teacher noted that participants include professors, laborers, engineers, and homemakers seeking familiar faces during the conflict.