PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Some natives of Iran living in Philadelphia say they are watching events in their home country with anxiety, frustration, and a renewed determination to speak out against the regime they fled.
Some have told Action News they support the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, saying they want freedom from the government now led by Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike last Saturday.
They emphasized that they support the strikes but wish it didn’t have to be achieved with war.
Marjam Vafa, who grew up in Iran and now serves on the board of Philly Iranians, said the leadership transition has been emotionally difficult.
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“It’s been so many emotions because we feel like nothing has changed. He is not representing the people of Iran,” she said.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei to take over as supreme leader. While some loyalists celebrated inside the country, many who fled say they fear he will rule the same way his father did.
“He has the same mindset. He has the same exact goals that his father did,” said Miriam, another member of the local Iranian community.
President Trump has called Mojtaba Khamenei an “unacceptable choice” and has said the United States should be involved in determining Iran’s next supreme leader. He has also called for an unconditional surrender from the Iranian regime.
Philly Iranians, which recently held a rally marking the death of the former leader, continues to advocate for a democratic government in Iran. Members say speaking out has become more dangerous, even from abroad.
Vafa described threats from the regime, saying it has warned that “if they speak out against the regime, all of their assets are going to be confiscated in Iran … and saying you’re going to be sentenced to death if you come back to this country.”
Despite the risks, Vafa said she will continue to speak up.
“We knew that once we speak against them, that we cannot go back,” she said.
The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s future weighs heavily on many in the community.
“That’s why we’re all so anxious, because we really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Miriam said.
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