The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate. The crisis has now expanded beyond IRAN ... and the fighting has killed over 900 people so far ... since the attacks by the United States and Israel began. The deaths have been widespread ... from school children to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For some Iranians living in the diaspora here in the BAY AREA ... the attacks by the U.S. and Israel are a sign of HOPE for regime change in Iran. Vincent Salimi was born in Iran and his family left the country when he was a young child. He eventually found his way to the East Bay where he started a family and got involved in local politics ... as the former MAYOR of PINOLE. While he was in office in 2022, the city issued a proclamation ... calling for a "Free Secular Democratic Republic of IRAN." I spoke with Vincent Salimi about all of this ... and he started by telling me about his journey from Iran to the U.S.   

The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate. The crisis has now expanded beyond IRAN ... and the fighting has killed over 900 people so far ... since the attacks by the United States and Israel began. The deaths have been widespread ... from school children to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For some Iranians living in the diaspora here in the BAY AREA ... the attacks by the U.S. and Israel are a sign of HOPE for regime change in Iran. Vincent Salimi was born in Iran and his family left the country when he was a young child. He eventually found his way to the East Bay where he started a family and got involved in local politics ... as the former MAYOR of PINOLE. While he was in office in 2022, the city issued a proclamation ... calling for a "Free Secular Democratic Republic of IRAN." I spoke with Vincent Salimi about all of this ... and he started by telling me about his journey from Iran to the U.S.&nbsp; &nbsp;

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories.

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories.