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The United States has escalated tensions in the Middle East by launching devastating airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan—in the early hours of Sunday, June 22. The attacks, carried out by U.S. B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs designed to destroy underground installations, have sparked fears of a potential third world war.
In response, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned, “Now it’s our turn. Iran will retaliate against the American naval fleet.” Tehran also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil supply route, and began implementing this threat within hours.
Amid this volatile situation, Iranian-origin Bollywood actress Mandana Karimi, currently in Europe, expressed profound distress over the crisis engulfing her homeland and family. In an emotional social media post, she wrote, “I’m responding to messages, trying to seem okay. But I’m not okay. What I’m doing is for myself and my family. But every moment is filled with anxiety. How can I be okay when I see children dying? It’s not just Palestine or Iran—the U.S. is attacking across the globe, yet everyone remains silent.”
She added, “I walk through the quiet streets of Europe, but I feel like a ghost. A part of me is still in Iran—where my mother, brother, nephews, and nieces are. I keep thinking the next missile might hit our home.”
Mandana emphasized, “Don’t misunderstand me. We don’t fear death. But watching our country burn before our eyes, enduring the praise of aggressors—it’s unbearable. Iran isn’t just a country. It’s my mother’s hands, the scent of jasmine in the dust, a lullaby. That Iran is dying.”
Appealing to the global community, she urged, “I’m truly not okay. So don’t sit silently. Please protest. If you stay quiet, it feels like something is truly wrong.”
Analysts warn that Iran may respond with significant military action, potentially intensifying conflict in the Middle East. Such escalation could have far-reaching consequences for global economies and security.
AI/MR
