Names of contributors have been changed for safety reasons. In the days before the Persian new year festival of Nowruz, Iranians would usually be excitedly preparing. "We'd be busy getting ready … cleaning the house, shopping for new clothes, sweets and snacks," says Mina, a woman in her 50s in Damavand, northeast of Tehran. But this year will be different, she says, in tears. "This year? Every day feels so long. It's like I've lost track of time," Mina says. Nowruz, which translates to "new