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If you see this, I hope you read it.
People against #IranWar and/or support #Iran in this conflict are either (1) un/miss informed and simply think “war is bad”. (2) Trump / Israel haters, so much that context doesn’t matter, and/or (3) Jihadist, IRGC-tied.
I am an Iranian-American. Lived in Iran for 30 yrs. My entire family is still there.
So (1) I know Iran very well, and (2) I’ve great stakes in this conflict.
This is a picture of my kid, with my American husband, who never got to see my birth country. In a decade-long marriage, they’ve only met my family once, outside Iran!
If you care, here is where I, and most Iranians, stand regarding this war. I truly hope you read this with an open mind.
(1) For 47 yrs, Iranians tried every civil solution imaginable to improve this regime:
- We defended the country during 8 yrs of war w/ Iraq (my father included). Millions died.
- We had many civil activism, articles, speeches, political organizations, strikes, etc… all ending with long jail times, jobs lost, executions, and lives ruined. Over the yrs, tens of thousands were executed.
- We participated in elections after elections hoping to select someone who’d improve things for Iranians. Even though they weren’t true free elections, as candidates had to be approved by the supreme leader. Our votes got stolen (2009 green movement), and things only got worse.
- We protested for most basic rights & were brutally slaughtered (major ones: 1999, 2009, 2022, 2023, 2026 #IranMassacre ).
(2) the regime has used all Iran’s wealth to build massive military underground cities (that we recently learned about), missiles, nuclear power, as well as supporting terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Huties. Our opinions didn’t matter for any of this. Their ideological ambitions led to sanctions and isolation of Iran. Iran’s oil was sold with massive discounts to China. Iranians became poorer and poorer by day. Iran’s natural resources were destroyed to support the build up. Natural water resources were destroyed due to underground buildings. Rivers and lakes dried out, farms were lost, and forests vanished. Iran, once a prosperous country, was led back to stone ages.
(3) After 47 years of this misery, Iranians are now at a point where they truly dont see any path to overthrowing this regime other than military intervention and support from world powers. The regime, armed to the teeth, has been in war with Iranians who are empty handed, and has no hesitation in slaughtering them. Expecting Iranians to accept their faith and live generation after generation with unimaginable oppression and hardship is cruel, to say the least.
(4) Iranians understand that US and Israel are not doing this for Iranians sake. No one would. But this is a rare opportunity for Iranians after half a century. Finally, the world powers have had enough with the regime. This is our chance to work along side them and find an opportunity to overthrow the regime, which is weakened more than ever. There is still no guarantee, but we must try and not lose this chance. We owe it to future generations.
(5) Iranians are more afraid of ceasefire and yet-another deal with this regime than they are of bombs. War has casualties for sure. But as difficult it is to believe, living under the regime is more deadly.
(6) This is a war against the occupying regime. Not against Iran as a nation. Assuming otherwise is greatly inaccurate. IF most Iranians shared the same ideology as the regime, then I would say so. But more than 90% of Iranians disagree with their ideology. So why go through billions of cost and political expense to just bomb people who want nothing but to be friends with the west?
(7) The attacks are very targeted. All civilian casualties are because military bases are located deep in civilian areas. Iranians have a phrase “Iran is a big military base for the IRGC, and to them we are just creatures bothering them with our existence.”
Thanks for your time 🙏🏻
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