Iranians in Chicago express alarm over brutal crackdown in Iran, demand US intervention.
Nassim Abdi, chief executive of Storybolt, a learning platform used by universities and businesses, says she's "constantly checking the news right now" as her parents live in Tehran, where protests against the government have turned violent.
The situation has grown increasingly dire for Iranians, with many reporting deaths and injuries at the hands of security forces. However, President Donald Trump weighs his options on whether to take military action, threatening that if Iranian authorities "violently kill peaceful protesters" the US will come to their rescue.
But not everyone in the US agrees that military intervention is the solution. Ahmad Sadri, professor of Islamic World Studies and sociology at Lake Forest College, believes that foreign intervention has never created a good outcome for Iran and that ordinary Iranians deserve support but don't need external force to overthrow the regime.
Chicago arts entrepreneur Narimon Safavi disagrees with Trump's approach, stating that the US military presence would actually strengthen the hands of hardliners in Iran who are seeking further crackdowns on protesters. Instead, he believes change must come from the Iranian people themselves, and the US should allow them to handle their own uprising.
Nassim Abdi, chief executive of Storybolt, a learning platform used by universities and businesses, says she's "constantly checking the news right now" as her parents live in Tehran, where protests against the government have turned violent.
The situation has grown increasingly dire for Iranians, with many reporting deaths and injuries at the hands of security forces. However, President Donald Trump weighs his options on whether to take military action, threatening that if Iranian authorities "violently kill peaceful protesters" the US will come to their rescue.
But not everyone in the US agrees that military intervention is the solution. Ahmad Sadri, professor of Islamic World Studies and sociology at Lake Forest College, believes that foreign intervention has never created a good outcome for Iran and that ordinary Iranians deserve support but don't need external force to overthrow the regime.
Chicago arts entrepreneur Narimon Safavi disagrees with Trump's approach, stating that the US military presence would actually strengthen the hands of hardliners in Iran who are seeking further crackdowns on protesters. Instead, he believes change must come from the Iranian people themselves, and the US should allow them to handle their own uprising.
. I mean, I get why Trump wants to step in, but isn't that just gonna make things worse? Like, how do we even know what's best for the Iranian people when they're not even allowed to express themselves freely? 
It feels like we're just throwing our weight around without thinking about the consequences. And honestly, I think Ahmad Sadri makes a valid point - foreign intervention rarely ends well and might even end up hurting more people than it helps. What's needed is some kind of support from the international community to help Iran find its own way out of this mess... but without just imposing our will on them 
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. We need to do something, but I don't think military intervention is the answer... it'll just make things worse 
. I mean, can you imagine if we came in with guns blazing? 
. We should be supporting the Iranian people, giving them a platform to express themselves and their demands for change 
, but not trying to take over their country like a boss 
. It's all about listening and empowering them to make their own decisions 
. The US could be a bigger ally by allowing the protesters to handle it themselves, you know? 
, like why do we think we can just swoop in and save the day? That's gonna just create more problems for us. I mean, have you seen how history has played out with foreign interventions? It's always a mess! 
We should be supporting the Iranian people, but we need to do it in a way that doesn't undermine their own movement.
. The fact that Trump is even considering sending troops is wild 
- it feels like he's more concerned with saving face than actually helping the people. I think Ahmad Sadri makes a really valid point about how foreign intervention has never helped Iran, but at the same time, the US isn't doing much to support the protests either 
. I wish there was some kind of diplomatic solution that would get the Iranian government to listen to their people without resorting to violence 
.
. And what's with all this "US will come to their rescue" business? It's like we think Iranian protests are our problem, rather than theirs 
. I wish we could just let the Iranians sort out their own stuff, you know? That's the only way real change is gonna happen 
, like what's good for the ppl in iran is a whole diff story 
, u got these ppl like nassim abdi who wanna see intervention from the us cuz her parents r livin in tehran and she's all worried 
, i mean i get it, foreign intervention can be super messy 
, and i think narimon safavi's point about the us military presence strengthenin hardliners' grip is a good one too 
. i think its time 4 us to step up & show our support but not necessarily w/ military intervention. maybe we could try providing humanitarian aid or some kinda diplomatic help 2 the ppl of iran? they deserve 2 b free from violence & oppression 
. Meanwhile, ordinary Iranians are just trying to live their lives, but they're caught in the crossfire of all this chaos 
. Can't we just support them diplomatically and let them figure out their own way forward? That seems like the most logical solution to me 
. i mean who cares about geopolitics when ppl r dyin & gettin hurt 
? we should be more concerned about finding a peaceful solution than just resorting to military action 
. u feel?
. I wish the US would just sit down with the Iranians and talk it out, but at the same time, I get why they don't want military intervention... it's a super tricky situation 
. They're always telling me about what's happening there, and it breaks my heart to hear about the situation they're living in right now.
. The reality is that Iran has been through so many cycles of protests and crackdowns before, and they've always ended in a stalemate or even worse. I think what ordinary Iranians really need is support and solidarity, not just military force.