Concerns are gnawing at Iran and Israel as Trump and the Ayatollah appear to be digging in their heels

The Iranian people are worried as the disagreement between President Trump and Iranrulers are growing. There is concern, too, in Israel, and preparation. But some Iranians who spoke to CBS News expressed not only panic, but hope that Mr.

As at least 10 US warships – including an aircraft carrier and at least five destroyers – were targeting Iran’s coastal waters on Friday, efforts to coordinate with other regional powers to pull Washington and Tehran from the brink of a military conflict appeared to have stalled. making slow, if any, progress.

Mr. Trump told CBS News’ Jennifer Jacobs Thursday night that he has had talks with Iran over the past few days, and that he plans to have more, adding: “We have a lot of big, very powerful ships going to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.”

“I told them two things,” said Mr. Trump about his contacts with Iran. “Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters.”

CBS News sought clarification from the White House about any ongoing direct talks between the Trump administration and Tehran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted earlier this week by state media as saying he had not been in contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days, although he said the two sides were still in contact with negotiators. The Swiss embassy in Tehran, as well as mediators including Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey facilitated communication between Iran and the US.

Iran’s leaders have long said they are open to facilitating talks with the US, but the country will not engage in talks while Washington threatens military action unless Tehran agrees to terms. Tehran has also refused to accept a ban on enriching uranium within its borders – for what it says is an entirely peaceful nuclear program – or restrictions on its non-nuclear missile programme.

Without a side that gives consent, at least publicly, the Iranian people are left to wait, and try to prepare for a new military conflict that could be overwhelming. And they do it under extraordinary circumstances, even in a country where life has been difficult for decades.

Most Iranians take Mr. Trump’s threats seriously. Trump, but communicating with the outside world, even within their own country, is incredibly difficult right now. Since the Iranian government began a crackdown on protests that rocked the country for two weeks in early January, internet and phone connections have been largely shut down.

Like Trump threatens Iran with “massive destruction,” many people in Tehran have been hoarding whatever basic goods they can. But that’s harder than ever. Store shelves are fully stocked, but already tough sanctions, imposed by Mr. Trump, have plunged Iran into an economic crisis that has sent prices soaring.

Record inflation and a dramatic devaluation of the local currency mean that even Iranians with stable jobs can’t afford essentials. The government, struggling with financial resources, has gradually increased the cost of public services and utilities.

So for many, many Iranians, just putting food on the table, let alone saving for it, has become a struggle.

Nahid, 25, told CBS News that she has a college degree, but works at a coffee shop in Tehran for little pay and lives with her parents, “because I don’t earn enough to live separately.”

“I see my father buying food and other necessities and he advises the whole family to prepare for the next difficult days,” said Lwesine.

“I don’t want America to come and free us, because it is the work of our people,” he said. “But I want President Trump to stand behind what he has said – that if the regime is killing people … he will step in and help the Iranian people. He should at least keep his word, otherwise the Iranian people will remember him as a liar.”

Tehran taxi driver Mohammed, 35, told CBS News he is struggling to support his wife and two young children as the poor economy and chaos on the capital’s streets have halted business, cutting his income in half.

“I want President Trump to fulfill his promise to the Iranian people, when he told the protesters to keep going, as help is on the way,” he said. “The people who were protesting in the streets were peaceful and had no weapons, but the police and the Basij [paramilitary] soldiers attacked people violently and shot many defenseless people. “

But there are some Iranians who remain, like their leaders, publicly defiant, and insist that the United States – with its thousands of troops stationed throughout the region, within reach of Iranian missiles – will pay a high price for any attack ordered by President Trump.

“The United States can do nothing wrong,” said Hai Morteza Armani, 67, a businessman in a busy Tehran neighborhood who described himself to CBS News as a devout Muslim who supports the government.

“President Trump said a lot of nonsense that he forgot the next day, and his latest statements against the Islamic Republic of Iran are baseless threats,” he said. “If the Americans do any harm to our leader, then we will kill as many American soldiers as possible, and they know about our missile capabilities and they are afraid. That is why they will not do anything.”

Mr. Trump ordered military action against Iran seven months ago, however, joining Israel as it fights a 12-day war with the Islamic Republic, and ordered strikes on three of the country’s most critical nuclear facilities.

In Israel, rumors of war

Memories of that war are still fresh in Israeli minds, and the exchange of threats between Tehran and Washington has renewed a sense of anxiety and alertness.

While Israel’s air defenses proved remarkably effective during that war, the Israelis were driven by air raid sirens countless times, and fears of another conflict have grown in recent weeks.

The governments of Israel and Iran have long viewed each other as arch-enemies, and most Israelis reserve their resentment for the Tehran regime. There was a lot of sympathy in the country for the Iranian protesters, and President Trump’s promise to go after the rulers of the Islamic Republic and protect the Iranian people was met in Israel with great support.

As American warships approach, Israeli headlines have focused for weeks on the prospect of a new US attack on Iran – and the possibility that it will bear the brunt of Tehran’s retaliation as America’s closest ally in the region.

Some municipalities have announced that they will reopen public bomb shelters. Several airlines have canceled flights to Israel, and hotels are reporting that tourists are canceling reservations. People collect food and bottled water.

But there have been no special instructions from the government or the Home Front Command, which sends warnings to citizens based on real-time threat assessments from Israeli security forces.

If there are no such clear instructions, and as the propaganda from Mr. Trump and Iranian officials are remarkably high-profile but scant on details, rumors spread quickly in Israel. Everyone seems to know someone who knows someone who “knows something.”

Daily discussions among Israelis often revolve around claims of specific information about the US claim coming in hours, or days, or arguments about whether holidays and other events should be postponed.

But no one, in Tehran or Tel Aviv, really knows what is coming.