This week marks the first week of the Persian New Year, but during the time of celebration there also are conflicting reports about military negotiations between the US and Iran.
President Donald Trump has reported there are efforts being made toward peace talks, but the Iranian regime has denied any discussions.
Ahmad Rahatpour has been in Buffalo since January 2024. He believes if a peace agreement is reached then it won’t last because the same regime will be in place.
“An agreement with this regime, it's just going to let them, allow them to work to kill more people," he said. "So an agreement, I think, is not going to be a good answer, at least for Iranian people.”
Even though it’s a new year, many of the same concerns remain because, if anything, the government is becoming more aggressive with the conflict, as well as with citizens, Rahatpour added.
The Iranian government recently has resumed trials for those arrested during January’s nationwide protests. Among the first cases to finish were three men who were hanged last week for their roles in the protest.
Buffalo resident Ali Dabir, who is using an assumed name because of personal safety concerns, is trying to be optimistic to start the new year. But he also has a family member who was arrested 30 years ago and still struggles with the effects.
“He still takes medications … psychotic medications for mental diseases," Dabir said. "That's what typically, or maybe many cases, happen to the people who are arrested by the regime, especially by the intelligence forces or community forces.”
He adds that anyone on trial in Iran is lucky to be executed, since the alternative is likely torture, which also can result in eventual death.
