This was so well done. I did figure it out early, but only because the scenario is infuriatingly plausible. Rot13:
Nygubhtu gurl ner nyfb genssvpxvat ivpgvzf vey, ab zra “jvguqerj”…bayl jbzra. Naq nf fbba nf V pnzr gb gur cneg jurer Znepl svyrq gur unenffzrag ercbeg ntnvafg Yran, V xarj gur genssvpxref naq gurve ynpxrlf zrffrq hc. Guvf orunivbe jnf fb bhg bs punenpgre sbe Znepl - bhe “vs V qvfnccrne orpnhfr V xabj gbb zhpu, urer’f jurer gur rivqrapr vf” cebgntbavfg - gung frrzvatyl rirelobql jub xarj ure jryy xarj gung n) fur qvq ABG znxr gung ercbeg, o) Bjra jnf xabja gb qb nalguvat gb trg jung ur jnagrq, naq p) fur jbhyq ABG whfg yrnir ba ure bja.
Ohg V qb jbaqre jul Znepl jebgr “chg ba fbzrguvat tbbq” nf cebbs fur jnf urefrys. Fur jbhyqa’g unir xabja gung Yran’q nyernql tvira gur fpubby n pbcl bs gung pbairefngvba - urapr ure fnlvat vg jnf n cevingr NVZ pbairefngvba gung bayl gur obgu bs gurz jbhyq haqrefgnaq - ohg fbzrbar cergraqvat gb or ure pbhyq fgvyy unir hfrq vg nf n pbqr cuenfr? Ohg fvapr nofbyhgryl ab bar vaibyirq jbhyq unir nqzvggrq va qrgnvy jung unccrarq gb Znepl, gura V ernyvmrq vg jnf npghnyyl ure jevgvat.
Anyway, this was great! It seems like there could be a second part jurer jr hapbire gur vqragvgvrf bs gubfr va gur genssvpxvat evat naq qvfpbire gur sngrf bs rirel ivpgvz. Hasbeghangryl, guvf frrzf yvxr fbzrguvat gung jbhyqa’g or pbagnvarq gb bar qrcnegzrag va bar fpubby, lbh xabj?