Source: Persuasion
by Mitra Vand
“Even in wars described as strategic, children die first. In many cities, including Tehran, explosions were heard near major government and military sites, including parts of the Supreme Leader’s compound. News followed that Ayatollah Khamenei himself was dead. I can’t lie — when I saw satellite images of his compound in ruins and heard the reports of his assassination, it felt surreal. When I lived in Iran, I passed that heavily guarded building many times on the way to my grandmother’s house. I would not dare look up at the armed guards, irrationally afraid they might recognize my hatred. For many Iranians inside the country — and for those condemned to exile — this is a cathartic moment decades in the making.” (03/01/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/fear-mourning-and-celebration