Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the United States imposed sanctions against Iran. In 2006, following discussions around the Iranian Nuclear Program, the US, UN and other Western nations expanded the sanctions. The restrictions hobbled Iran’s economy and led to widespread pessimism among Iranians about their future. I photographed this series in the streets of Tehran at the peak of the sanctions period between 2018 and 2019. In recent years, many problems have arisen in people’s lives as a result of the pressure of sanctions on the one hand and the economic mismanagement of the country on the other. During this time, people lived constantly under the shadow of war. They also witnessed their purchasing power decrease as the prices went up daily. For me, the street scenes represent the deep inner life of Iranian society. On the streets, on buses, and in the subways, I saw people, so immersed in their thoughts, that their surroundings lost all meaning, ceased to exist, leaving them lost, frightened and not knowing what to do.
Distorted horizons
Series, Jury Honorable Mention
Economic problems affect people’s psychological and mental state and they are swamped by thoughts about how to find a way out.
A view of a permanently closed amusement park in the southern part of Tehran.
A young student smokes a cigarette in Daneshjoo park in central Tehran. Most youngsters feel a sense of hopelessness and their plans for the future are vague and confusing.
People walking on a street. In recent years, the rise in tension between the leadership in Iran and America has affected everyday life and people have become pessimistic about present and future possibilities.
A street vendor at a flea market in the suburbs of Tehran. In recent years, as a result of sanctions and mismanagement, many workshops have been forced to close or have gone bankrupt and people have started selling on the street to provide for their families.
A middle-aged man on the sidewalk.
A man in a café in the city.
A street peddler at a flea market in the city of Parand in Tehran’s suburbs. In recent years, as a result of sanctions and mismanagement, many workshops have been forced to close and other have gone bankrupt. People have resorted to selling on the street to provide for their families.
A street peddler at a flea market in the city of Parand in Tehran’s suburbs. In recent years, as a result of sanctions and mismanagement, many workshops have been forced to close and other have gone bankrupt. People have resorted to selling on the street to provide for their families.
A few people sit on benches in Tehran’s City Park. The pressure created by sanctions has made life more difficult for Iranians and people are anxious about their ability to provide for their families, giving rise to violence, seclusion, isolation and depression.
Some youngsters in “Baam-e-Shahr” in Tehran. The social and economic situation in the country has caused them to lose any hope of achieving their goals.
Economic problems have affected people’s psychological and mental health, meaning that they are constantly swamped in thoughts about how to find a way out.
Экономические проблемы сказываются на
Экономические проблемы сказываются на