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Arriving in a new country, the first person a visitor will meet is often a taxi driver. On the streets of Iran's capital, Tehran, the yellow and green taxis are ubiquitous—and their drivers usually have stories to tell.

We found Hamid Bavi, a university tutor who drives a taxi "for pocket money," as our reporting trip to Iran was almost over. We approached him with our filming permit, looking for an interview, but he instantly said: "I don't need to see your papers. Let's go."

Sanctions have hit Iran hard. Its currency, the rial, has lost around two-thirds of its value since 2011, oil revenues have fallen significantly, and spiralling inflation means the cost of many basic items has tripled. Ordinary people like Bavi often need to do more than one job to make ends meet.

A former soldier and veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, Bavi is philosophical about the past. "Life under sanctions was tough," he said. But not "as tough as war."