Members of Iranian, Jewish communities in Manitoba react to escalating conflict after U.S. attacks on Iran

Yahoo

10 hours ago

A day after the U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, one Iranian Canadian group came out in condemnation of the attacks as an escalation of hostilities, while a community organizer viewed the strikes as a pathway to regime change in Iran.
Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz were struck by the U.S. on Saturday in what officials hailed as an overwhelming success that obliterated Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
The operation comes more than a week after Israel targeted Iran's Defence Ministry headquarters, igniting an exchange of missile attacks between the two countries.
Washington's involvement in the Israel-Iran war pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflict, in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled dictator in Syria.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. had "betrayed diplomacy" with the military strikes in support of Israel.
Arian Arianpour, a community organizer and former president of the Iranian Community of Manitoba, said he doesn't view the U.S. airstrikes on the nuclear facilities as an attack on Iran and its citizens, but on the rulers of the Islamic Republic — and said the strikes may be a pathway to break away from them.
Arianpour said elections, protests and reform efforts haven't resulted in political changes, even as they have put Iranian citizens that speak out at risk of retaliation from the regime's leaders.
"This war, as painful as it might be, might present an opportunity to finish the job that ... people have started decades ago," Arianpour said.
"They [Iranians] have been suffering under a regime that they did not want, and now they are suffering from a war they did not choose."
Iran's only viable path forward is to ensure a dismantling of its ruling regime, Arianpour said.
External attacks to Iran might weaken the government's capacity to also crack down on internal dissent, he added.
"Iranians, whether inside or outside the country, do want to see this regime end," Arianpour said.
On Sunday, a national Iranian-Canadian advocacy group condemned the U.S. attacks on Iran.
In a statement, the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) said the strikes "recklessly ran the risk of untold harm to Iran's population with nuclear fallout by bombing civilian nuclear infrastructure sites."
The national non-profit organization called on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to help de-escalate the conflict and take a stand against the strikes.
"We strongly urge Mark Carney's government to show some backbone, listen to Canadian citizens' calls to not involve our country in U.S. and Israeli aggression, and act in accordance with Canadian and International law to avert further escalation of war," the ICC wrote.
On Sunday, Carney said in a statement on social media that Iran's nuclear program is "a grave threat to international security", and while the U.S. military action was designed to alleviate the threat, the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile.
The Canadian government is calling for a diplomatic solution to end the crisis, Carney's statement said.
Jeff Lieberman, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg's CEO, said Iran's government has been a threat to Israel's security and the organization supports the U.S. bombing of nuclear sites in an effort to make the world "a safer place for everyone."
He also said the organization wants peace in the region and it "would be a good thing if they could start to try to negotiate."
"The last thing that I think that anybody wants is to see innocent people, whether they're Iranians or they're Israelis, get hurt or killed," Lieberman said.
In the meantime, Lieberman said Israel is still in danger from Iranian missiles evading the country's air defences and slamming into civilian areas.
"It's not an easy time for Jews in Winnipeg," Lieberman said.
Gustavo Zentner, vice-president for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), said Iran's nuclear program also poses a threat to Canada and its allies.
"It is critical to remind Canadians that the Iran issue is not just about Israel or the Jewish community," he said. "It's about the safety of Canada."
Hours after the American attacks, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched 40 missiles at Israel. Officials reported more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries.
Lieberman said the Jewish federation is helping Winnipeggers stranded in Israel to come to Canada through Jordan and Cyprus.