Iranians divided over peace prospects as US-Iran deal said to be near

Ahead of the deal between the United States and Iran expected to be signed on Sunday, Al Jazeera's Tehran correspondent Resul Serdar interviewed people at Tajrish and Enghelab squares. Mehrdad Tabatabai, a 58-year-old traditional carpet seller, said: "My family has feared the rial's decline for three years; if sanctions really are lifted, this time it has to be permanent." Niloufar Hashemi, a 22-year-old international relations student at Tehran University, added: "I believe in the deal but I worry the Trump administration could change the terms overnight."

The Tehran Stock Exchange's TEPIX index has risen 18% in the last three weeks, while the rial has gained 6% against the US dollar on the parallel market. Former Central Bank of Iran Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati told Al Jazeera that "if the agreement is broad enough, export revenue could grow 30% within a year." The chairman of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Massoud Khansari, has urged a gradual exchange-rate adjustment rather than a sudden move.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are scheduled to travel to Tehran on 1 July to resume comprehensive inspections at the Natanz and Fordow facilities. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to be continuing his mediation contacts, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the economic-opening package would include water and energy projects supported by the European Investment Bank. This is not investment advice.