Every weekend since the Iran war began, a group of Iranian Americans has been rallying in Plano.
“Iran is going through a very difficult time at this time,” Michael Pima said. “There’s war, but it’s unusual to say that it is welcomed by the Iranians.”
“This kind of rally is against terrorism that (the) Islamic Republic provided for the last 47 years inside the Middle East and around the world,” Aria Salehi said.
Personal stakes for families
For many here, this is deeply personal, with loved ones still in Iran.
“All my family, my mom, my sisters, brothers, relatives are back home in Iran,” Pejman Pirmoradi said. “They are joyful under bombardments, under bombing, they are joyful because they understand this is the end of this regime.”
This weekend, demonstrators are also reacting to reports that President Donald Trump is signaling the U.S. may begin scaling back military operations — a move some Americans support, saying the country should avoid a wider war. The Pentagon says all options remain on the table.
“We don’t know if it’s the truth or not,” Salehi said. “All we know is that President Trump always says that he is going to stay with the Iranian people.”
Oil prices add pressureÂ
One major factor in the conflict’s ripple effects is rising oil prices, which are rattling global markets.
“This is all temporary,” Salehi said. “We guarantee after regime collapse in Iran, every single thing, gas prices, food prices, or any other thing, they are going to go down. This is temporary.”
For now, demonstrators say their priority is making their voices heard.