13 hours ago
Minnesotans with family in Iran worry for loved ones amid conflict with Israel: "I feel crushed"
While President Trump does not appear to be giving up on diplomacy as he weighs whether to join Israel in its offensive against Iran, there are Minnesotans worried about their families across the ocean.
Katayoun Amjadi grew up in Tehran, a place close to her heart where her extended family still lives.
"They're in Tehran and I haven't been able to talk to them the past 24 hours," Amjadi said. "They're older, they don't have the means to get out."
Ghazaleh Dadres also grew up in Iran and still has family there.
"For my aunt, it took over 12 hours to just go from Tehran to the northern coast," Dadres said. "It's truly scary. Nobody wants war. I don't think anybody really wants to see their home destroyed. Iranian people are just as much victims of this."
"It's this misconception that the Islamic Republic equals Iranian people," Hamid Kashani, who has family in Iran, said. "This is a war between two governments. The Iranian nation is caught in the crossfire."
As people like Kimia Kowsari worry for their loved ones, other emotions flood in.
"Anything could happen to my family and I wouldn't know right away, is really, really stressful and just sits with you in back of mind," Kowsari said.
"I feel crushed. In Israel, in U.S., and in Iran, it's the power I have an issue with, not the people," Amjadi said.
"We do not blame anybody, but this is not our war. This is not our peoples' war," Dadres said.
For now, there are hopes for the future.
"I would love to see a day where Iranians can have the right to decide for themselves," Amjadi said.
There's also uncertainty about what comes next.
"We want a democratically elected government that follow the aspirations of Iranian people. But how is that going to be achieved? Nobody knows," Kashani said.
