Iranian Americans celebrated in Houston’s Galleria area Sunday after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Some Iranian Americans in the Houston area are celebrating reports of U.S. military action in Iran, saying it could mark the first real opportunity in decades to one day return to their home country. At the Motahari family’s home in Katy on Saturday, the news spread quickly through social media and Iranian news accounts on Instagram: reports of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s killing following U.S. and Israeli military action against the regime. The reaction inside the house was immediate — tears, cheers, and emotional embraces.

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.

Inside the grand hall of the United Nations, the world’s leaders are convening this week.

Two U.S. congresswomen have renewed demands for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide a formal apology and release records in connection with the January 2020 detainment of 200 Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border.