Many local Iranians in the Denver metro area share support for U.S. military action in Iran
Veterinarian Dr. Parisa Kariminejad has been protesting for a while. Showing up outside Colorado's capitol, calling for an end to the regime of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Now Khamenei is dead.
"They've been evil to our people for 47 years. They've done nothing good for Iran," said Kariminejad.
Born in Iran and brought by her family to the United States at age 5, she remembers little of her homeland. But her parents instilled in her an interest in Iran. She re-learned Farsi as a girl to learn about the culture.
"Iran is such a beautiful country and it has so much tradition, so much history. It's just sad to see the people being treated this way," she said of the Iranian people.
There are several thousand Iranian natives living in Colorado. Many came in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and oppose the current government. It is not surprising those we talked with favored the war with Iran.
"I'm proud to be Iranian. And I'm proud of my people. But not this regime," said a woman who gave only her first name, Shanaz, as she shopped at the Arash International Market in Aurora. She came to the United States in 1987 and joined her family here.
"It's a war. One way or another. But I'm happy," she said of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on her native country.
"I'm so happy that finally President Trump decided to attack Iran," she said.
She worried about the citizens left behind and worried they might be in the streets as the attacks happened. She has not been able to contact people she knows back home. Water and power have been cut, she believes.
The Khamenei Regime, she says, has been oppressive and it touched families all over the country.
"There is no family in Iran that at least didn't have a daughter or son or some member of family that's lost someone."
"I spent my whole childhood in this store," said Payam Diba. Diba's family has operated Arash International Market in Aurora for decades.
"Our culture is tied to the foods we eat," he explained. The family and many others shopping there consider themselves Persian, the dominant ethnic group of Iran.
Born in the U.S. he pays attention to his parents' native country. They lived in Tehran and left around the time of the revolution.
"The morality police that enforce Islamic morality on people in a very honestly brutal and fairly violent way," he said.
The family also owns a restaurant in Centennial, Surena Persian Cuisine. Saturday night, partying and dancing broke out.
"People were celebrating quite heavily for Khamenei getting killed," he said. "People are very happy about it. You know people have been waiting 50 years for this kind of change."
At the store, they put out candy as people celebrated.
"It's amazing that it's happening and hopefully it continues. You know this is the most progress toward change we've seen, probably ever."
While hopeful, he is still somewhat pessimistic of the outcome of the attacks.
"It's a great thing to see change occurring, but I don't know if it's ultimately going to lead to something that's going to be change. I think someone else might take Khamenei's place. But it's hard to say."
He worries that the U.S. has stepped too far into Mideast affairs.
"I love to see change in Iran. In my heart of hearts I love to see it and I'm so glad to see that there is something happening where the people have an opportunity. But I believe this is a net negative," he said. "I don't agree with the idea behind what the United States is doing. Especially by taking sides with Israel."
"The casualties that are consistently happening are just awful to hear about. But on the other hand, Khamenei and his militia have killed over like 20,000 people in the last protest alone."
