Iran

In the city of Qom, ayatollahs and hardliners fret that their government relinquished too much in its nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers. "God knows what we gave up," says an ayatollah.

For Iranian tourists at this ancient Persian capital, awe for the past is tempered by disappointment about the present. "We have nothing new that makes us special in the world," says one visitor.

The U.S. and Iran swapped prisoners last month, before the lifting of sanctions. But Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American businessman, remains in an Iranian jail, raising concerns among the diaspora.

NPR's Steve Inskeep revisits three Iranians he met last year to find out if their lives have changed because of Iran's nuclear agreement with world powers. "We are actually in a new world," says one.

Saeed Laylaz, a former journalist and economist, has been a vocal advocate of reform in Iran. He was jailed in a 2009 post-election crackdown, but now runs an auto business. "I am alive yet," he says.

A carpet weaver in the ancient city of Shiraz continues her family tradition, but doesn't earn enough to support her large family. Will the easing of economic sanctions on Iran make a difference?

The 14th century Persian poet Hafez remains venerated in Iran, even though he wrote of wine, romance and other topics not necessarily welcome in today's Islamic Republic.