Day of history, joy, anxiety in ‘Tehrangeles’ after airstrikes in Iran

Reza Khaleghian, 70, burst through the door of Naab Cafe on Saturday morning, phone pressed to his ear, fist raised and shouting in Persian to anyone who would listen: “Khamenei is dead!”

Soon President Trump would confirm the death of Iran’s religious leader in the historic attack by the United States and Israel. A sea of ​​flag-waving revelers would later fill the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Boulevard.

But as the bombs fell 7,500 miles away on Tehran, Iranian Americans in West Los Angeles spent Saturday celebrating the day some had been waiting nearly half a century for.

“This is an amazing day that we could not have imagined even in our dreams,” said 35-year-old Beha Pangrazio. She emigrated from Tehran 10 years ago and brought her husband, young son and mother to Westwood, the epicenter of Los Angeles’ growing Iranian diaspora, for the celebration. “I hope the regime changes, the Shah returns home, and we have a great future for Iran.”

The greater Los Angeles area is home to the largest concentration of people of Iranian descent outside of Iran. It has been the capital of exiles since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. According to the Migration Policy Institute, as of 2019, more than half of Iranian immigrants to the United States lived in California; 29% (about 140,000 people) lived in Los Angeles County alone.

Many settled in Westwood and the surrounding area, earning the area the nickname “Tehrangeles.”

As news spread on social media of a large demonstration planned for later in the day in support of the strikes, people gathered in neighborhood stores and cafes to celebrate the news.

Car horns blared and Persian music blared through open windows. A Tesla Cybertruck adorned with two giant flags of the Imperial State of Iran, the monarchy that was overthrown in 1979, sped down Veteran Boulevard; A Mercedes, flying the same flag from the open sunroof, turned in the other direction. Phones were constantly ringing with messages from friends and relatives watching the news from around the world.

“You have to understand, we were raised to prepare for this day,” said Ryan Abrams, 34, while walking with his wife Ashley Abrams (32) in the neighborhood with their dogs.

He wore the lion and sun flag of the Shah’s Persia tied around his shoulders like a cloak; He was wearing an Israeli flag similar in size to his own. Both Iranian Jewish families immigrated to Los Angeles in 1979.

“Our entire lives we have had to navigate our different identities, coming from both Persian and Jewish backgrounds,” he said. “Today we see one step forward.”

Back at the Naab Cafe, where “Make Iran Great Again” signs and photos of Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi hang in the windows overlooking Westwood Boulevard, Khaleghian and a growing group of friends were gathered around a pair of outdoor tables, each jumping from their seats to greet each new arrival with “jaweed Shah” hugs and exclamations — long live the Shah.

“I am 70 years old. This is the best time of my life. Freedom for my country. The best day of my life,” Khaleghian said. “I love Trump! I want to make sure he knows it.”

Their waiter, Amir, who preferred not to share his last name, brought packaged peach and pineapple hookahs and tall glasses of pressed watermelon juice from the cafe’s kitchen to the table.

The 37-year-old from Tehran took to the streets during the 2009 Green Revolution and was “thrilled” by news of the US strike, although he acknowledged the future was uncertain.

“On the one hand, you hate them all so much that you want them all dead,” he said of the regime. “On the other hand, war. Things can go wrong in war. But I and many people think war is better than what’s going on.”

At the table, Bob (he declined to give his last name) made a celebratory noise – he said he had made a bet some time ago on the prediction market app Kalshi that Khamenei would die at the end of February and was about to collect. Phones were constantly vibrating on the table with messages. Khaleghian reached for the plastic hookah pipe; A friend took it away, reminding him of his cardiologist’s advice.

The five men, all of whom emigrated from Tehran decades ago, playfully argued over who correctly predicted that Trump would carry out his threats to attack Iran and who expressed doubts. Some said they were pleasantly surprised that their U.S.-born adult children, who had never set foot in Iran, seemed as happy as they were about the news.

They all planned to return as quickly as possible to a country most of them had not seen since leaving decades ago. “I’m not going to Italy next summer. I’m going to Iran,” Khaleghian said, tapping the table for emphasis. “God willing.”

Hundreds of people gathered and celebrated in Westwood on Saturday following news of an airstrike in Iran.

“You are very hopeful,” said Paul Daneshrad, 59. “The more important question is: Does this lead to meaningful change?” His friends tried to silence him by groaning; He waved to them.

“The people are not armed, so for every leader killed, 50 people will replace them, unless the army or part of the army decides to support the people,” he said.

Sepehr, 58, who declined to give his last name, said no one knows what the next day will bring. The regime had existed for almost half a century; It was too early to know how bloody his exit might be.

But Persian culture has existed for more than 3,000 years, he said. What was just 47 years in this context? “This is a bad dream,” he said, laughing.