NORFOLK, Va. — As images of conflict and destruction continue to come out of the Middle East, a Hampton Roads man with deep ties to Iran says the world is missing an important part of the story: the Iranian people themselves.
Moe Razavi, a former Iranian Navy pilot who fled the country decades ago, now lives in Hampton Roads. But he says his thoughts remain with the people still living in his homeland.
“I miss that country. I miss those people. I miss that flag,” Razavi said.
Razavi served as a pilot in Iran before leaving after the 1979 revolution. He eventually settled in the United States, but he says watching the current conflict unfold has been emotional.
“Sometimes I cry… I gotta be honest with you, a 72-year-old man...I cry,” Razavi said. “I do because I miss that country. I miss those people. I miss that flag.”
Razavi says the situation inside Iran right now is difficult for many families. Communication with loved ones can be limited, and he says people are struggling to find everyday necessities.
“People are struggling to find basic necessities — water, food, diapers,” he said. “They’re really struggling.”
But Razavi says what’s happening in Iran should not be confused with the will of the people living there.
“The representation of the regime does not represent the Iranian people,” he said.
Despite the hardship, Razavi says some Iranians are still holding on to hope for change.
“People got fed up,” he said. “Now that this man [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] is gone, they’re thinking about freedom. They’re thinking about democracy.”
Razavi says he remembers the moment he learned the news about Iran’s supreme leader during the recent escalation.
“I pulled over on the highway when I heard the news,” he said. “I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.”
For Razavi, the future of Iran is uncertain, but he says many people there are still hoping for something simple.
“Iranian people want democracy. They want freedom,” he said.
Razavi says he hopes Americans remember that the Iranian people and their government are not the same — and that many people in Iran are simply hoping for a better future.
