Schools across Iran remain closed more than six weeks after the United States and Israel launched military operations on February 28, leaving working parents struggling to balance their jobs with supervising their children's online education. While a fragile ceasefire has reduced the immediate threat of airstrikes, Iranian authorities have not announced when in-person instruction will resume.

The conflict killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, including more than 165 people in a strike on an elementary school. Schools initially shut down after the strikes began, briefly resumed online classes for a week in March before the Nowruz holiday, then restarted virtual learning on April 4.

Many Iranian families fled Tehran and other major cities during the initial phase of the conflict, with hundreds of thousands seeking safety in rural areas or northern regions. Parents describe the disruption to family routines, with multiple generations crowded into single homes and children struggling to maintain their educational progress in unfamiliar environments.

Working parents who remained in or returned to Tehran face particular challenges. Finance manager Mahnaz Ataei brings her 7-year-old to her office to oversee his online classes while working. Architect Padideh Teymourian and her husband have reorganized their schedules around their 6-year-old daughter's virtual preschool, with one parent required to sit beside her throughout classes.

The ceasefire is set to expire early next week, with the United States and Iran still divided on key issues including Iran's uranium enrichment program. The ongoing uncertainty leaves families uncertain whether to prepare for a return to normal schooling or potential renewed conflict.