Zainab Haider was driving home with her two young children Tuesday, contemplating the implications of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran. She worried about the safety of relatives still living in Iran.
Trump ultimately agreed to a two-week ceasefire instead of carrying out a threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” This came as another shock to Haider and the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living in the U.S., who have experienced ongoing uncertainty regarding the future of Iran and their families.
Anxiety and Protest
The recent discourse surrounding the conflict has been all-consuming for many, impacting their ability to work and focus. Protests calling for an end to the war were held Wednesday in cities including Austin, Texas, Modern York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Haider participated in the Austin protest.
Haider believes that increased mobilization will “create the kind of pressure that makes it harder for Trump to swing back to this aggressive posturing.” She acknowledged that even as “Trump is not going to ever be able to defeat it or wipe it out,” Iran, “it is possible to do damage…to affect millions of people, millions of lives.”
Concerns for Family, Both at Home and Abroad
Haider, a municipal planner and organizer with the Austin for Palestine Coalition, described hearing Trump’s ultimatum as frightening. While she does not support regime change, believing it is a matter for the Iranian people to decide, she felt compelled to speak out.
Sheila Amir, an Iranian-American writer based in North Carolina, expressed fear on multiple levels due to Trump’s social media posts. Her primary concern was for her relatives in Iran, but she has been unable to confirm their safety due to an internet blackout in the country. She also worried about U.S. Relatives serving in the military.
A Difficult Moral Dilemma
Even those who support U.S. Actions that weaken the Iranian government are grappling with the threats against civilians. Roya Rastegar, a filmmaker and cofounder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective, has had difficult conversations with her family about the conflict. Family members have been killed by the Iranian government since the Islamic Republic took power, and much of her wife’s family remains in Iran.
Rastegar noted that the frequent reversals in policy build it difficult to explain the situation to their children. She described an “impossible moral dilemma,” concerned that intensified attacks on Iran could harm civilians, but that de-escalation without dismantling the Islamic Republic would exit Iranians vulnerable to continued repression. She stated, “It’s really nauseating to just think about my people as being stuck between a regime that’s still killing them and an administration — the U.S. — that is issuing these kinds of threats.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the recent anxiety among Iranian-Americans?
A deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran to concede to U.S. Demands prompted anxiety among Iranian-Americans, who feared for the safety of relatives still living in Iran.
What actions did some Iranian-Americans take in response to the situation?
Some Iranian-Americans protested the war in cities including Austin, Texas, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
What concerns did Sheila Amir express?
Sheila Amir expressed concern for her relatives in Iran, whom she has been unable to contact due to an internet blackout, and for her U.S. Relatives serving in the military.
How do you think the ongoing uncertainty will affect the Iranian diaspora in the coming weeks?
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