President Trump recently addressed the nation following 33 days of conflict in Iran. ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser watched the speech alongside Shahriar Afshar, an Iranian immigrant living in San Diego.

Initial Hopes for Change

Prior to the address, Afshar expressed his desire for a decisive outcome. “I mean, I hope he says we’re going to continue until there is real change in Iran and this regime is no more,” Afshar stated.

Trump's Address and Afshar's Reaction

During his address, President Trump asserted, “When it’s all over, the United States will be safer, stronger, more prosperous, and greater than it has ever been before.” However, Afshar disagreed with this assessment.

“We are worse off now than we were before. The world is not more safe. We are less safe because of this incomplete action. If, if we just bomb Iran and leave,” Afshar explained.

Shift in Perspective

Just a month prior, Afshar held a more optimistic view of U.S. intervention. “We’re happy to see U.S. intervention. If this intervention wasn’t going on, I am 100% certain that you would see another 47 years of oppression, killing, murdering, raping of ordinary citizens,” he said at the time.

Concerns About Regime Change

Five weeks later, that optimism has diminished. “There’s no regime change when you kill the dad and the son takes over,” Afshar noted, referencing the impact of targeted strikes.

Disagreement on Iranian Leadership

President Trump characterized the current Iranian leadership as less radical, stating, “Change has occurred because of all of their original leader’s deaths. They’re all dead. The new group is less radical and much more reasonable.”

Afshar strongly disagreed with this characterization. “I’ve never heard anyone refer to the Islamic Republic as reasonable people, any branch of government. So right there, that is worrying,” he said.

Call for Completion

Despite acknowledging the costs – including rising gas prices in San Diego – Afshar believes a complete resolution is necessary. “Because you leave the problem intact,” he argued. “If you go in and you suffered all these casualties, you spent billions of dollars…you start something, finish it.”

Afshar, who has family in Tehran, recognizes the consequences of continued conflict but believes ending the war prematurely would be even more detrimental.

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