AUSTIN, Texas — A U.S. and Israeli strike on Iran that left dozens dead, including the nation’s supreme leader, is drawing sharply divided reactions in Texas, where some residents gathered at the Capitol to celebrate and others called for peace and warned of broader consequences.
Many state leaders and Texans voiced conflicting views over the morning strike in Iran. The attack killed many people in Iran, and while some people called for peace in the Middle East, others said it was the right thing to do.
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In Austin, people went to the Texas Capitol to share their views. Some Austinites who said they are from Iran celebrated the coordinated attack.
“We just want to say this is not war to us,” Sholeh Zendehdel, who lives in Austin, said. “All of the Iranian people, inside and outside, we are all happy for what happened.”
Others at the Capitol urged an end to conflict.
“It just shows that our government does not represent the will of the people. Because the people do not want another war in the middle east. The people want peace,” said PJ Cornell, identified as the Central Region Officer for the American Communist Party of Texas.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Joe Buccino said “thinking that something is wise and thinking that it’s necessary are two completely different things.”
He said what the U.S. government does next will determine the attack’s effectiveness, and he warned the conflict could affect oil prices for Texans.
“Iran holds the third largest oil reserve in the world. We saw in 1979 when the regime and the Ayatollah overthrew the Shah. We saw an oil shock that really impacted the United States. I think we’re going to see that again,” Buccino said.
He also described scenarios that could drive oil prices higher.
“If they started striking Kuwaiti tankers in the Arabian Gulf, we’d see a real shock in oil prices. If they start hitting Saudi oil facilities, that would really be a problem for oil prices,” Buccino said.
Buccino also said the regime could potentially not allow any ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
As the conflict continues, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered additional security across Texas.
“I have directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to ramp up surveillance and patrols at key sites—including our vital energy facilities, ports, and southern border,” Abbott said in a statement.
In Washington, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged that House Democrats will force a vote on limiting President Trump’s war powers after the strike happened without explicit congressional authorization.