Thousands of Iranians call Utah home. Hours after the attack on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several of them said they’ve got conflicting emotions. They don’t want to see the place where they grew up and still have family bombed, but they also say this was something that needed to happen.
National News
Iran confirms supreme leader’s death after US-Israeli strikes
Mohsen Panah has run the Sumac Café in Cottonwood Heights for the last eight years. For him and his stepdaughter, Melina Nazari, it was a memorable start to the day.
"When I walked into the restaurant, we all grabbed each other laughing and happy," Panah said.
"I came to the restaurant so happy. I started singing, I was so happy!" Nazari said.
It's the same sort of feeling for a lot of Iranians across the Salt Lake Valley.
Nasrin Mohammadi grew up in Iran. She remembers what it was like before the Islamic Republic.
"It was a country with diversity. It was a country that people were not talking so much about what your religion practice was. You could wear whatever you chose to wear, you could say whatever you wanted to say," Mohammadi said.
Now, there's joy, twinged with some pain too.
"What I don't want is to be hopeful and happy when I know there's still a chance that many will suffer before the end comes," said Niala Masrouri.
Masrouri left Iran when she was 10.
"Going back to a free Iran is a dream that I still haven't dared to dream yet," she said.
Khosrow Semnani knows that's not a sure thing — at least not yet.
"We're still worried about that. I don't know if we are looking at the end of this regime yet," he said.
Stil, though, for this group of Iranians in Utah, today was about celebrating. Vandad Oladi said he was thankful for President Donald Trump.
"That was the only way he or any other brave guys could do for peace in the world, not just Iran, that's my point," Oladi said.
Masrouri said she wants people to know they're not pro-war.
"Violence never fixes any problems, but in our situation, war is the lesser evil," she said.
Many of them are dreaming of the day they can see their families all those thousands of miles away again.
"I can't wait to go see my family, my relatives. I can't wait," Panah said.
Whatever comes next, they say they want to see the best for their homeland.
