A message to my fellow Iranians – and to those who misunderstand this war

By Forough Amin
19 June, 2025

Dr Forough Amin is an Iranian expatriate and activist for the rights of Iranian women.
OPINION: As the entire world watches the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic regime in Iran, Iranians are at a critical historical juncture. We Iranians are anxiously following the news and cautiously hopeful that the time for change has finally arrived.
However, the circumstances are so complex and developments are happening so rapidly that it is extremely difficult to grasp the full picture. We are left with a mixture of opposing feelings and views all at once: feeling humiliated as a foreign country invades our beloved homeland — a country we take immense pride in for its history and beauty; feeling anxious as our families and people are under attack; feeling sad and worried as our infrastructure and national resources are in danger; feeling relief and a sense of justice as the regime’s military officials — responsible for 46 years …