This week, about a month after the first Israeli bombs dropped on Tehran, the Tajrish vegetable market is once again alive with activity.

Vendors call out prices for eggplants, avocados and tomatoes.

Just a short walk away from the market, however, the scars of war remain.

On June 15, Israeli missiles hit Quds Square. Surveillance footage verified by the BBC shows cars launched into the air from the blast. The intended target is still unclear. The war lasted for nearly two weeks. Now, people are starting to rebuild, but recovery has been tough. 

Tehran resident Shirin Rastegarpour went shopping near the blast site. She said she was horrified when she heard the news about the blast and felt lucky to have not been there on that day.

Rastegarpour stayed in Tehran throughout the 12-day war. While most residents fled, she decided to stay behind and help those who couldn’t escape. She heard the bombings every day, she said. Luckily she survived and her house wasn’t destroyed, but she said the war has left lasting effects on her health.

“I feel anxious and tense all the time,” she said. “I’ve asked my doctor to give me new medication to help.”

The airstrikes, which were especially intense at night, have left her with insomnia and a persistent sense of dread. Even with a ceasefire in place since June 24, she said she’s still on edge.

“A ceasefire doesn’t necessarily mean peace,” she explained. “We’re in limbo. The war can restart at any time.”

To cope, Rastegarpour, who is an author and translator, has been working nonstop, taking on only short-term projects.

Across town, Sina, who only uses his first name, dug through what remained of his high-rise apartment.

His home was among the first buildings to be hit. In a video posted to his Instagram, he panned the camera across his neighborhood.

It showed one building that had vanished entirely, another was left with a gaping hole. An older man on a nearby balcony hung laundry to dry, right next to a destroyed apartment.

Sina said government officials visited him recently and asked that he file paperwork for reconstruction aid. But so far, he hasn’t heard anything back.

For those near Iran’s nuclear sites, anxiety is even higher.

Sami Salimi lives about an hour from Natanz, where the US dropped 30,000-pound bombs last month.

“It’s really stressful,” he said. “Nothing feels the same.”

Salimi runs a cell phone shop and also drives for Snap, an Iranian rideshare company. He’s held off on restocking inventory for his shop, worried that more strikes could come at any moment.

“So many businesses lost money during the war,” he said. “Some had to shut down for days.”

“Even now,” he added, “people are avoiding non-essential purchases. They are trying to keep their savings in case the war returns.”

Salon owner Saloumeh Zarandinia has also been trying to rebuild.

She reopened her business and offered discounted services to help others bounce back.

“Someone told me that living with constant stress is like taking your own life out of fear of death,” she said. “Let’s not do that.”

When asked what is giving her hope in this moment, Rastegarpour responded with a sigh.

“The resilience of the people of this country,” she said. “We’ve been through so many traumatic events, and we’ve managed to return and rebuild.”

“When the war stopped, another fight began,” she added. “The fight to start over again.”