Sudbury man fears for family in Iran after Israeli airstrikes, calls for ceasefire
Israel and Iran enter fifth day of conflict
An Iranian man living in Sudbury says the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has left him deeply concerned for the safety of his loved ones and fellow citizens back home.
"My parents, my friends, and honestly any Iranian... I'm worried about. Any single citizen in Iran, I'm worried about them, and any Israeli citizen as well," said Mohammad Abdollahzadeh Tuesday afternoon.
Abdollahzadeh moved to Canada seven years ago with his family, first settling in Toronto before relocating to Sudbury, where he opened a Persian restaurant five years ago.
Before coming to Canada, Abdollahzadeh lived in Iran. He said he left for personal reasons and in search of a new life.
That past remains deeply present in his mind, he said — especially as violence intensifies in the region.
"Enemy missiles that hit my land hit my heart too," he said. "It's really hard to see that."
Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday morning, striking the capital of Tehran with airstrikes that killed military officials and nuclear scientists, and targeted nearly a hundred locations, including nuclear and missile facilities.
It appeared to be the most significant military assault Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Iran's state news agency said Iran had fired hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Israel as part of a retaliation effort, Friday afternoon.
'War is not good'
"War is not good... I'm looking for an immediate ceasefire," said Abdollahzadeh.
He criticizes Iran's leadership for portraying Israel as an enemy, arguing that it has done so for decades to serve its own political goals — not to protect the Iranian people or to support Palestinians.
Abdollahzadeh still has close family and friends living in Iran, including his parents. Although they're currently safe because they live outside Tehran, he said the fear extends far beyond the capital.
But he warns that further escalation could make Israel a primary enemy in the eyes of many ordinary Iranians, even though they didn't choose this conflict.
Abdollahzadeh is also urging the United States not to get involved militarily, arguing that it would only deepen the crisis and further disempower Iranians trying to change their government on their own terms.
"I cannot tolerate any foreign army in my land. We don't need them," Abdollahzadeh said.
However, he said he's encouraged by the solidarity Iranians are showing one another in the face of violence, including people in other cities offering shelter to displaced residents from Tehran.
"These amazing people... these are my people," he said.
With files from Johnathan Migneault