Hope and fear among Iranian Montrealers as they brace for what's next

Atena Barforoushi couldn't do much from Montreal but dial and re-dial her mother's number for days as she watched the war between Israel and Iran, her home country, escalate last week.

They spoke once Saturday, but have not been able to reconnect since amid the internet blackouts.

"I was just shaking and then I broke down into tears," she said. "At that moment I just found out how much pressure I'm just keeping inside me without noticing."

Barforoushi's mother lives in her hometown of Babol in northern Iran, her brother lives farther west, and her friends are in Tehran. Though some cities were safer than others, nowhere was truly safe, she said, and with the announcement of a possible ceasefire coming from U.S. President Donald Trump Monday, those concerns aren't entirely appeased.

"They were worried that if they come to some agreement, a ceasefire, the government of Iran is going to take revenge on the people of Iran," said Barforoushi, referring to those opposing the regime, like her. 

The announcement comes as a relief to her after over a week of watching the war unfold on her screen with stressed and helpless eyes. But the longevity of that relief hinges on what the international community does next, she said.

"If the ceasefire, which is very important for us, happens, it must come with the condition that they don't hurt more people," she said. 

Speaking from British Columbia, Ram Joubin, the vice-president of the Alliance of Iranian Canadians, shares the same sentiment. Some had taken the escalation of the war as an opportunity to publicly demand a regime change, he said, and build momentum toward that goal.

"There has to be continual talks about democratic transition from the international community," he said. "So if the international community abandons the people of Iran, they'll get massacred."

It remains unclear whether regime change in Iran is what the U.S. is after the latter's president and Defence Secretary issued conflicting messages over the weekend. The U.S. has been consistent, however, in its desire to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, which it claims it has done.

In a post to X Monday evening, Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said there was "NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," adding that Iran had no intention of continuing its military response if Israel ceases its attacks tonight.

Bijan Jalali says he'll be watching closely what happens in the coming days to see if the ceasefire materializes and what it will look like if it does. But, he also worries a crackdown on dissidents will come if the current regime stays.

"I'm very worried about that," he said. "It's a nightmare for us outside of Iran, imagine what's going to be happening inside of Iran." 

Jalali has long been opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He came to Montreal as a political refugee in 1983, four years after the Islamic revolution.