Thread by @hamids

I'm at a loss as to what to do to help stop a potential war with Iran, but I want to share with you my story...

My family came to the US in 1984 in the middle of the Iran / Iraq war. I was 10 when we left a city called Bandar Abbas, right at the tip of Strait of Hormuz.

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I didn't put much thought into the regular sirens, followed by blackouts (power loss) that would happen regularly. Each time, my parents would take my sister and I to sit in door archways where the structure of the house was strongest to withstand a bomb blast.

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As a parent today, I can't imagine the psychological torture that a parent must feel trying to protect their kids from bombs and missiles. In 1984, my parents had enough. With little money, no language or know-how they gave up everything to start over in the United States.

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The Iran / Iraq war lasted 8 years in Iran (from 1980 - 1988). The aggressor was Saddam Hussein. Iranians lost 1 million lives! Despite this fact, Iran argued for peace in 2002 when US was considering a pre-emptive war of choice with Iraq.

Iranians are peaceful people.

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When the US strategy towards Iran changed last year to flagrantly exit a Nuclear agreement with Iran, and employ a "maximum pressure" strategy, crippling Iran's economy and its people, most experts warned that this could lead to an all-out war.

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If such an unjust, unnecessary, and easily preventable war with Iran starts, these are just tiny fraction of the people who will sit in door archways wondering what the difference is between Saddam Hussein and the United States. The Iranian people did not ask for this!

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I hope that my representatives @kyrstensinema, @SenMcSallyAZ and @RepDavid can see my story and help prevent a war with Iran.

#NoWarWithIran

cc @IlhanMN @AOC @SpeakerPelosi

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