As an Australian Iranian I feel caught between two worldviews – but experiencing this conflict first-hand has shown me the quiet strength of a society under attack
I
travelled to Iran from Australia to visit my ageing parents and reconnect with my roots. What was meant to be a short family visit took a dramatic turn with the outbreak of a sudden and unprovoked war imposed on Iran. I was in Kurdistan on a short sightseeing trip when the first Israeli attack occurred. The news struck like a shock wave, followed by a heavy, ominous silence – the kind that signals something far worse may be unfolding. With airspace closed and internet access severely restricted, I found myself all but stranded.
Yesterday, I crossed into Turkey through the Sero-Esendere border in West Azerbaijan province in Iran – a less crowded route which I chose after a painful but deliberate decision. I am now preparing to return to Australia to be reunited with my wife and children.
The past few days have been some of the most intense and heartbreaking of my life. Saying goodbye to my elderly parents and siblings, not knowing when – or if – I’ll see them again, was a kind of pain I can’t fully describe. I am profoundly concerned about the growing risk of a wider war that could engulf not just the region, but potentially the world. Above all, I am deeply worried for the future of Iran – one of the greatest countries in the world, rich in culture, history, and resilience.
