As the U.S.-Israeli air strikes bombarded Iran’s capital Tehran, Friday, Iranian Montrealers were conflicted over the war which enters its seventh day.
They say that the longer the fighting continues, the more uncertain they are about what the coming days will bring.
Some like Mojan Safari said the attacks were necessary.
“We had no choice,” Safari said. “We just need the foreign forces.”
Ayrik Armani, organizer of the Iranian Youth House Montreal, agreed with Safari, “Sometimes war is the only solution which can help us.”
However, as Israel’s military said it had launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on the country’s capital, home to 10 million people, other Iranian Montrealers denounced the attacks.
“There is no accountability either for Israel or America who are involved,” said Mina Fakhravar. “This is an illegal war that they are implicating themselves into.”
Fakhravar said it was “very absurd” that supporters of the Iranian monarch would thank U.S. President Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attacks.
“This war doesn’t belong to Iranian civilians,” he added. “They didn’t want this war.”
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Armani said the oppression by the Iranian regime meant there were not many options.
According reports, thousands of Iranian people were killed in a nationwide protest by the regime in January.
“Getting killed by your own police and government,” Armani said. “This is something that there is there are not many solutions for that.”
The sharp divide among in the Iranian diaspora on the U.S.-Israeli operations also extended to Canada’s potential involvement in the war.
Earlier Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada was not involved in the air strikes that began the war, known as Operation Epic Fury, adding, “We were not consulted in this military operation and have not participated.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney didn’t “categorically rule out” Canadian military’s involvement.
“I’m gladly waiting for the day that I hear that Canada is supporting this cause as well along with Israel and America,” Armani said.
Fakhravar, however, said that she hoped it doesn’t happen.
“Iranian people in Iran never asked for the war and we hope that Canada doesn’t get involved,” Fakhravar said.
As the war escalates and Trump said he wanted to be involved in choosing the country’s next leader, Iranian Montrealers said they hope the country’s future is decided by its own people.
“No one can talk about the future leadership except the people of Iran,” Safari said.
“Any change should (be brought) by its own people, by civil society, it doesn’t come with the bombs,” Fakhravar said.
