At Columbus Circle, some Iranian-Americans gathered alongside anti-war organizers reacting to the United States and Israel’s coordinated strikes in Iran targeting military and nuclear sites.
What You Need To Know
Protesters argue escalation risks widening the conflict
Supporters say the military intervention was needed
According to President Donald Trump, the campaign could last for weeks
“I understand the frustrations of every Iranian, and I’m one of them,” Mohammad Khatami, who was at the protest, said.
According to President Donald Trump, the campaign could last for weeks.
“The idea that we are treacherous enough to want an outside regime to bomb us and to kill innocent us. This is not who we are,” Khatami said.
Khatami says frustration with Iran’s leadership is real, but foreign military force is not the answer.
Frustration within Iran boiled over in late December when nationwide protests erupted over the country’s collapsing economy and currency, where Iranian State Media says thousands of people were killed.
“People do not want another U.S. war,” protester Gabriela Silva said.
Organizers at the protest argued that escalation risks widening the conflict.
Iranian authorities report hundreds of deaths since the strikes began, with counterattacks killing at least six U.S. service members.
Less than a mile away in Times Square from Columbus Circle, a separate rally of Iranians reached a different conclusion.
“We want a fair and free election,” Sina Mohrranzadah, an Iranian-American supporter of military action, said.
“This is not a war. What we want really is military intervention, so we can help our people,” Saba Moeinzade, an Iranian-American supporter of military action, said.
For Moeinzade, being under the regime for more than 40 years is precisely why outside pressure is necessary.
“How we see this situation right now is the U.S. helping us so that we so that we can gain our dignity and our human rights back,” Moeinzade said.