HOUSTON – As demonstrations enter their fifth day, families abroad fear for loved ones, and call for accountability, rights, and a people-led future.
Protests across Iran have turned deadly, sparking fear and heartbreak among Iranian Americans with family still in the country. What may appear as breaking news to many is a constant, daily anxiety for those watching events unfold from afar.
Demonstrators across Iran are demanding basic human rights and the removal of the ruling regime. For Iranian Americans in Houston, those demands come with an unbearable emotional toll, and a deep fear that speaking out could endanger loved ones back home.
Just outside Bijon’s Restaurant and steps away from the Mercy Community Center mosque, members of Houston’s Persian community say they are afraid to go on camera. Several told us privately that public attention can bring consequences for family members in Iran. One Iranian American, Anahita Delos, agreed to speak, saying this fear is not new, it has been a lifelong reality.
“Every day, not just right now”
For Delos, concern for her family in Iran never fades.
“Being born in Iran and having family in Iran is always a concern,” she said. “Not just at this time—every time, every day.”
The current unrest began amid severe economic pressures and an unbearable cost of living. But Delos says the movement represents something far deeper: a decades-long struggle for dignity.
“This is the continuation of people asking for their rights—for their human rights, basic human rights,” she said.
Despite the risks, people continue to protest. Delos says many Iranians know the danger and take to the streets anyway.
“They know they are capable of killing them and shooting them straight on the street while they are protesting,” she said.
Fear of silence and isolation
As protests intensify, Iranians fear further isolation from the outside world. Delos says information is already difficult to verify, and internet shutdowns are a looming concern.
“We don’t have exact numbers of how many people were killed,” she said, noting that at least several victims’ names and photos have circulated publicly. “Any conflict brings the fear of losing communication with the outside world as they will cut the internet eventually.”
That potential silence—combined with reports of deaths—has amplified anxiety for families abroad who rely on limited communication to know their loved ones are alive.
Reaction to U.S. support
Delos says statements of support from U.S. leadership, including a tweet from President Donald Trump warning Tehran against killing protesters, gave some Iranians hope that international scrutiny could save lives.
“We are thankful for this message that he mentioned that he’s behind us, ready to help us,” she said. “We are one step closer to victory.”
Off camera, several people at local mosques echoed gratitude for international attention, while emphasizing their ongoing fear for relatives still living in Iran.
Holding onto hope
Delos says her hope is simple but profound: that Iranians can end the regime with minimal harm to ordinary people. Delos joins other advocates in stressing that it is essential to separate the Iranian people from the country’s ruling authorities, and that political engagement should never ignore ongoing human rights abuses. Iran’s future, they say, must be decided by its own people through free and democratic processes, without outside forces imposing an outcome, though the international community can support a peaceful transition in ways that respect Iran’s sovereignty.
They also call for targeted political pressure that holds those responsible for abuses accountable, while avoiding further harm to ordinary citizens already struggling economically. Delos emphasizes that a lasting transition requires accountability and the rule of law, including independent investigations, documentation of abuses, justice for victims, institutional reform, and steps to prevent future violations.
Protecting civil society and access to information is also critical, with advocates urging support for activists, secure communications, and independent media, especially as fears of internet shutdowns continue to grow.
For now, families in Houston and across the diaspora continue to watch, wait, and worry, clinging to the belief that sustained attention, accountability, and respect for the Iranian people’s choices can help shape a safer future.