Iranian Americans living in South Florida are watching developments in Iran with a mix of hope and heartbreak as U.S. airstrikes continue in the region.
A small group gathered Tuesday night to discuss ways they can support what they describe as a peaceful transition in their home country. Many in the room said they feel a level of optimism they haven’t experienced in nearly five decades.
“We want to be a united front and want to listen to those voices,” said Sandra Madjdi, an organizer with Iranians of Florida.
Madjdi, who was born in Iran, fled the country twice: once as a child and again as a teenager after experiencing life under the regime. She said news of Saturday’s attacks brought a rare moment of joy to many in the Iranian community.
Kia Behravan, an Iranian student living in Miami, said he celebrated as the news broke.
“We just pretty much had the phone on speaker the whole time celebrating, screaming and we were so happy,” he said.
Videos from South Florida showed groups gathering in the streets, cheering and thanking former President Donald Trump as the strikes unfolded.
U.S. Central Command says nearly 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit in recent days, including missiles, launchers and drones. The attacks have generated mixed emotions among Iranian Americans.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet situation right now,” said Reza Tajaliawal, an Iranian American. “Many of us are happy, some we are sad. There are pictures and stories that surface that are heartbreaking and that’s the nature of the war.”
Some community members said they hesitate to call the situation a war, instead describing the U.S. actions as a rescue mission.
Arash Aalaei, an independent journalist from Iran, said he fled the country after being jailed by the regime. He believes he would have been executed if he had stayed.
“I fled my own homeland and I sought refuge here in the United States and America has been great to me,” Aalaei said. “I never thought that this kind of liberty and freedom we get in the United States we could ever have in Iran. And now we have a chance.”
A senior Trump administration official told reporters Tuesday that Iranian negotiators were not looking to reach a quick agreement ahead of the attacks.
So far, six U.S. service members have been killed in the region, and reports from inside Iran estimate the death toll there in the thousands.
Despite the mounting casualties, many Iranian Americans say they believe this moment could ultimately lead to greater freedoms for their families.
“We are just tired of it. We want freedom,” Madjdi said. “That hope right now is greater than ever.”
Democrats in Congress continue pushing for a war powers vote that would limit the president’s ability to carry out additional strikes in Iran.