CHICAGO (WLS) — Ali Tarokh and his American wife read to their 2-year-old daughter in both English and Farsi.
Tarokh is an Iranian refugee who came to Chicago 12 years ago after being imprisoned in Iran for political persecution.
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The 39-year-old’s immediate family remains there.
Tarokh says he has lost hope for any diplomatic solution after the United States chose to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites.
“Attacking nuclear sites and targeting scientists isn’t a long-term solution. Due to recent events, Iran is now more motivated to rebuild its program,” Tarokh explained.
And there are now questions on whether the U.S. strikes worked, as President Donald Trump insists the sites were obliterated.
“It’s blown up to kingdom come,” Trump said. “The site has been demolished. The whole thing is collapsed and a disaster.”
Reports to ABC News suggest an initial Pentagon assessment reveals that at least two of Iran’s nuclear sites struck by U.S. bombs may not have been destroyed. The setback to Iran’s nuclear program is estimated to last only a few months.
Nonetheless, some analysts specializing in the Middle East suggest that Iran might be willing to abandon its nuclear ambitions in exchange for reintegration into international trade, along with lifted sanctions and access to previously frozen assets.
“Iran is not North Korea. Its goal is not to become a nuclear power. Its goal is to relieve the economic stress that the country has been under for decades,” said Ibrahim Abushariff, a Qatar professor at Northwestern University.
Tarokh is not so optimistic.
An American citizen since 2018, Chicago is now his home. But as someone who spent his first 27 years in Iran living under sanctions, he doubts anything will change after the past 12 days of war.
“They would love to lift the sanctions. However, they have proved they can survive under the heaviest sanctions in human history,” Tarokh said.
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