by War is never easy, but for Iranians living in Minnesota, it’s a feeling that words can’t begin to describe.
“Upset, but hopeful,” fourth year Iranian student Sadra Golzarian said.
Others describe a mix of emotions.
“Heartbreak. Absolute heartbreak,” First Year Iranian student Kian Ghobadi said.
Ghobadi last visited the country six years ago and his father grew up in Iran, but moved to the U.S. after the Iranian revolution in 1979. While he was initially relieved that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed, that feeling quickly faded.
“That fleeting happiness only lasted a day or two because the reality is this war is here,” Ghobadi said. “War has returned to Iran.”
Though he hopes to see a regime change in Iran, Ghobadi said he does not believe war is the solution.
“I feel like two things can be true at once,” Ghobadi said. “This regime is horrible, and we hate them. And also, war will not bring any good for us.”
Golzarian, whose family is from Tehran, said the violence has been difficult to process.
“It doesn’t ease the pain,” Golzarian said. “It’s the blood of your people being spilled.”
The last time Golzarian was in Iran was in 2018 and he said many people outside of Iran are misinformed due to propaganda.
“It’s not just war and oil, we’re people, we don’t all live in deserts,” Golzarian said. “When bombs are dropped, they’re not being dropped on Iran, they’re being dropped on Iranian people.”
University of Minnesota Professor Sima Shakhsari grew up in Tehran and lived there until she was 20. She has not returned since, saying it is unsafe for her as an openly queer person. Her family remains in Tehran.
Shakhsari said she has been in contact with relatives during the conflict.
“My niece in Iran, who was at the hospital sent me a telegram text and said they attacked,” Shakhsari said.
While discussions of political change continue, Shakhsari said that the future of Iran should be determined by its people.
“ It has to be decided by the majority of 90 million people in Iran and not by the Monarchists who are sitting outside of Iran,” Shakhsari said.
