Trump says he’s weighing deal with Iran against action to “finish them off”

While confronting medicine shortages and soaring inflation, many Iranians say they’re bracing for the potential return of an all-out war with the U.S. and Israel, as leaders of both countries wage mounting threats in the days leading up to their respective elections. 

The Associated Press spoke with Tehran residents who described growing anxiety, with some preparing to leave the capital and others scrambling to acquire goods that have been difficult to find. 

Fereshteh Hajipour, 35, the mother of a toddler, said she was stockpiling over-the-counter medicines and food for fear of a “possible war and bigger bombs.”

Iranian leadership believes that President Trump likely will order new strikes regardless of the results in the midterm elections, and “they are planning for the scenarios so they can take remedial measures,” said a former government official and foreign policy professor at the University of Tehran, Sasan Karimi.

Meanwhile, a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has restricted oil exports on which Iran’s government depends, increasing the economic pain as each side tries to outlast the other. Trucks have piled up at borders as Iran’s trade shifts to overland.

Even for middle-class Iranians, affording basic groceries has become difficult. Prices for staples have risen steeply since the war began. Rice is over 60% more expensive, and beef over 150%.

Mohammad Mohammadi, 36, said a trip to the supermarket can burn through half a monthly mid-range salary of 400 million rials, which roughly equates to $150.

Despite the high prices, Mohammad Abedi, 39, said the rising attacks on the Strait of Hormuz spurred him to buy extra supplies for his family, including dried dates, cooking oil and rice.

“I’m worried that the situation could get worse,” he said.

CBS/AP