Iran’s economy, long struggling under heavy sanctions, has been hard-hit by the war. Many workers have lost their joba, while a government-imposed internet blackout also disrupted business for much of the conflict.

Tehran has made the unfreezing of its assets a key demand in talks, hoping for relief months after unrest that was fueled in part by economic dissatisfaction.

“I’m not hopeful it will lead to a lasting peace,” Kaveh Ahmadi, who lives between Tehran and northern Iran and works in industrial photography, said in a separate interview with NBC News on Monday.

Ahmadi, a 43-year-old father of one, has spent much of his time with his family in the north during the war to escape the sound of “non-stop bombings.”

Despite his skepticism, he said he hoped a deal could at least help the Iranian economy after months of rising prices for consumers.

“Everything has gone up, so maybe a peace deal, even short-term, can at least stabilize prices,” he said.

Abdullah Mohammadi, another resident of Tehran, said he was also “not optimistic” about the prospects of the deal.

The U.S., he told The Associated Press news agency, has “proven in the past” that it is “not fully committed” to deals, he said, referencing Trump’s withdrawal from the landmark 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, said Iranians were right to be cautious.

As it stands, Vakil emphasized in a phone interview Monday morning, the framework deal exists as a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with a peace agreement yet to be signed.

“It’s the beginning of maybe a process that will get us a final deal, but I think we should be quite cautious,” she said. “We should be prepared for hiccups.”

The MOU, which includes 14 points, according to Iranian state-affiliated Mehr News, leaves some key issues unresolved, laying the groundwork for future tensions.

Among those potential issues are Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a key sticking point in talks.

Another is Lebanon, a priority for Tehran.

The conflict there is an integral part of the agreement with the U.S., Iran’s foreign ministry said Monday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the country’s forces would maintain a presence in territory seized in the country.

With Hormuz traffic stalled, the U.S. imposed a maritime blockade in an effort to impose more pain on the Iranian economy. Both crises are due to be lifted as part of the new deal, but it remains to be seen whether a stable long-term resolution can be achieved.

Mohammadi said he remained hopeful that “some good comes from all of this” in Iran if the economy starts to recover under the peace deal.

“If the government wants to, it can deliver,” he said. “I hope they think about the people now and move away from conflict and warmongering.”

Amin Khodadadi reported from Tehran, and Chantal Da Silva reported from London.