PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — U.S. strikes in Iran are prompting mixed emotions among Iranian natives living in Philadelphia, with some expressing relief at the pressure on the country’s regime while also fearing for loved ones caught in the conflict.

Firouzeh Jaraha, a native of Iran, said the situation is “very difficult and painful,” but she believes the strikes are a necessary step toward removing the current leadership.

“If the Islamic Republic remains in power, the consequences would not stay within Iran’s borders. The risk of greater massacre, broader regional war and even nuclear catastrophe would grow,” she said.

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Jaraha is part of Philly Iranian, a nonprofit human rights organization that held a demonstration Sunday in support of the U.S. action. She said the removal of the regime’s leader has brought a sense of hope, even as she worries about her own family.

“No one actually welcomes war. My own family lives in Iran. I don’t have any news of them,” she said.

Patrick Murphy, former Under Secretary of the Army, former Pennsylvania U.S. congressman, and an Army veteran, said the strikes are likely to escalate tensions.

“What we’re gonna see now is a rise in hostilities. We’ve already seen a loss in American casualties, there’s already tankers being shot at in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

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Murphy, who now leads the geopolitical unit at Hilco Global, also raised concerns about how the decision was made by the Trump administration.

“The fact that we did this without UN support and without an act of Congress, unfortunately, makes this an unconstitutional action,” he said.

As some groups, including Philly Iranian, applaud the strikes, others plan to protest in Philadelphia, opposing the administration’s move. Murphy said there is still no clear political path forward.

Jaraha said she and others will continue watching events unfold in Iran while hoping for a future without the current regime.

“It is not just a threat to its own people, but to the whole world,” she said.

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