While U.S. and Israeli militaries launched air strikes against Iran last weekend, Indiana University sophomore Alborz Salehi said he jumped out of bed.
Salehi, who was born in Tehran and grew up in Fishers, was with friends at the Monroe County Courthouse when he learned those airstrikes killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Honestly, that was the best news that I could have had all year,” Salehi said.
Salehi and other Iranians have celebrated the supreme leader’s death, hoping to see an end to the regime that has ruled for the last 47 years. Salehi said the missile strikes meant the voices of Iranians were finally heard, and it’s what they want for their country.
“I know my Persian brothers and sisters are. . . they're very brave people,” Salehi said. “I'm not worried for them. I pray for them that we will overcome the Islamic regime, and Iran will be free.”
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Seven days into a new war with Iran, the U.S. military is deploying more than 50,000 soldiers to the region. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have blocked communications and internet access in the country.
Unlike in the past, Salehi said he’s not worried about the safety of his friends and family in Iran. Missiles destroyed a Basij headquarters near his grandmother’s house, but he was not scared for the people on that street. He believes the U.S. and Israel are targeting the regime, not Iranian citizens.
“I'm certain my friends are okay, and my family is alive,” Salehi said. “This week has been nothing but happiness, and I'm full of hope.”
Some Americans and members of Congress have shared concerns over another war in the Middle East. They worry about the cost in blood and treasure. And they don’t think the Trump administration has thought about what would happen after the initial shock. The administration’s messaging has been contradictory on the war’s objectives.
But Babak Seradjeh, an Iranian living in Bloomington and an IU professor, said that’s a one-dimensional way of viewing the situation.
“This is a very, very happy day for many, many Iranians,” Seradjeh said. “That's why you see them chant or dance or, you know, march these days.”
In January, Iranian security services killed thousands of people protesting the Islamic Regime. The protests came during an economic crisis and after decades of authoritarian rule under Khamenei.
Citizens also endured internet shutdowns and blackouts, making it difficult for those outside the country to understand the extent of the violence. In the few leaked photos and videos of the protests, reports showed families struggling to identify victims, authorities charging families for releasing remains, and body bags lining morgues.
“If you talk to any Iranian, it's unfortunate to say most of them will know one person that was killed in just January alone,” Salehi said.
Read more: How will a war in Iran affect Hoosiers?
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International are still investigating the extent of the violence and killings. Some organizations estimate more than 35,000 people were killed.
Seradjeh said the massacre completely changed his outlook on military operations in Iran such as the one that killed Khamenei.
“After so many years of trying to bring about change through different channels, supporting so-called moderate or reformist politicians in the government, and protests and civil disobedience movements and so on,” Seradjeh said, “When you're faced with this level of brutality, I think all those channels are blocked.”
Seradjeh said the regime can’t be reformed.
“It's killing people by the thousands, and this is just not a legitimate government,” Seradjeh said.
The Islamic regime is now trying to find a new leader.
Trump said he wants someone who will “bring harmony and peace to Iran.” Regime officials are eyeing the supreme leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the successor.
Seradjeh, Salehi and other Iranians support Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah, as a transitional leader.
“There is actually a connection between Reza Pahlavi and the people in Iran, and I don't think the same exists for other figures,” Seradjeh said. “They have been in these protests calling on him, and he called on them, and in turn, they responded. So, there isa sort of a two-way relationship.”
