As the U.S. military attacks Iran with extensive bombing campaigns, Iranians across Nassau County are torn between the hope for regime change and the terror of civilian bloodshed. Elected representatives and community members shared their thoughts on the conflict and on the future of Iran and its people.
Nassau’s Iranian population of about 8,500 people, according to the American Community Survey, is reacting in a variety of ways to the violence.
“This government does not represent the people of Iran, so it is a difficult time for Iranians all over the world because of this conflict,” Hooshang Nematzadeh, deputy mayor of Kings Point, said. “Everyone is worried, everyone is petrified.”
The 11024 ZIP code in Kings Point has the highest percentage of Iranians in the county, accounting for nearly a quarter of the area’s 9,100 population, according to survey data.
Nematzadeh said people’s main concern, both during recent protests against the regime and the current bombings from the U.S. and Israeli militaries, is safety for Iranians and their families.
Iranian civilian deaths have already been reported, including over 150 from a recent strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran, The Guardian said.
“Everyone loves their homeland, everyone cares for the people in Iran,” Nematzadeh said.
Trump said Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation in Tehran.
The president said the military operation is meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and Iran’s regime posed a threat to international peace.
Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral said the Iranian community is ecstatic about the possibility of regime change in Iran, a nation of more than 90 million people.
“They are worried at the same time about the well-being of civilians who may be in harm’s way,” Bral said. “They are happy that the regime that has the blood of innocent civilians on its hands is about to collapse.”
At least four U.S. service members have died in the conflict, which the president dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
“Sadly, there will likely be more,” Trump said, predicting further American casualties. He said the Iranian military should lay down its arms or face death and Iranian civilians should prepare to take over their government.
Bral said there are innocent lives on both sides of the conflict, but this violence may bring eventual peace and stability to the region.
“The only acceptable future for this country is a democracy that will be sustainable,” Bral said. “A democracy in which the people in Iran will be able to voice their opinion and elect their own leader rather than being forced into accepting another ruler.”
“We all feel a sense of risk and exposure, given the desperation of the waning regime. They’ve already done strikes against several of the Arab neighbors in the area,” Great Neck resident Janet Esagoff said. “As far as the hopes and dreams of many Iranians in the diaspora, we all hope that in our lifetimes we can go back and visit Iran.”
Iran has launched retaliation strikes against Israeli and U.S. military outposts and nine nations in the region, Al Jazeera reported.
Esagoff said the Iranian citizenry doesn’t have the infrastructure of bomb shelters for civilians that other places have.
“This is all unprecedented times, the regime can do all types of awful things, they already have. They’ve demonstrated who they are,” she said, adding that she hopes for the least number of casualties possible. “We hope for the best, that this is a short conflict, and hopefully there’s a regime change.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state police presence will increase “at religious, diplomatic, and cultural sites statewide,” in a Feb. 28 statement.
In Oyster Bay, the police presence has increased, although no specific threats have been levied, according to a statement from Joseph Saladino, the town’s supervisor.
“With the FBI’s counterterrorism and intelligence teams on high alert as U.S. operations against Iran continue,” the statement said, “[the town announced] intensified public safety patrols around houses of worship and government buildings.”
Elected officials across Nassau have weighed in on the military operation.
“I agree with the president’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities,” U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi wrote on social media. “The president must now clearly define the national security objective and articulate his plan to avoid another costly, prolonged war in the Middle East.”
“The [Trump] administration must adhere to the law and consult the full Congress on any major military action,” U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen said in a social media post. “This is a serious moment, and I am praying for the safety of our brave American forces.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he fully supports the president’s military operation.
“Iran’s leadership has called for death to America and funds terrorist organizations throughout the world,” he said. “With an international coalition of American allies with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, finally peace is possible in the Middle East.”
