Iranian community in L.A. react to President Trump’s two-week pause on U.S. air strikes in Iran
WESTWOOD, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) - Many in the Los Angeles Iranian community are breathing a sigh of relief after President Donald Trump announced a two-week pause on U.S. air strikes in Iran.
"It's surreal, it's even hard to believe," said Farbod Kashani, owner of Saffron & Rose.
"He said he's going to bomb the civilization," said Mohammad Ghafarian, a resident of Westwood.
On Tuesday, President Trump said, "A whole civilization will die tonight" in Iran unless the country's regime met his demands by 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Little Persia in Westwood is home to dozens of Iranian businesses, with some people living and working there were left fearing for their loved ones still in Iran.
"I am worried for people, everybody in Iran are my brother and my sister. There is no different," Ghafarian expressed.
Several demonstrators held signs in protest of the president's threats on UCLA's campus Tuesday.
"Trump's crazed warmongering attempt to destroy Iran and the Iranian people must not succeed," said Hoku Jeffrey, national organizer for By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).
About an hour and a half before the deadline, those threats put on pause when Trump announced a two-week ceasefire.
Some in L.A.'s Persian community say they thought the president was bluffing, not believing the us would attack civilians in Iran.
"Bombing the bridges, and the power plants, and the oil resources. Maybe he would do that, but he wouldn't do on people," Ghafarian remarked.
Others say they're urging family in Iran to take the threats seriously.
Everyone in the community say they want the regime to work with the U.S. to find a peaceful way out of this standoff.
"We all want a resolution, we want the people in Iran to feel safe, we want us Americans here to feel safe. And it's a lot question marks to be honest with you," Kashani said.
