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Demonstrators in Los Angeles — home to the largest population of Iranians outside Iran — celebrated the attack by dancing, chanting and waving flags outside a federal building in the Westwood neighborhood.
“Down with Islamic Republic!” they shouted. “Democracy for Iran!”
Many in the crowd of hundreds waved the red, white and green “Lion and Sun” flag, which was the Iranian flag before the 1979 revolution brought the ayatollah to power. Others carried Israeli or American flags.
Led by an emcee, the crowd also chanted thanks to President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Some wore hats or shirts labeled “MIGA” or “Make Iran Great Again.”
About half a million Iranian Americans live in the Greater Los Angeles region. West Los Angeles in particular is home to a cultural enclave known as “Tehrangeles,” or Little Persia, featuring grocery stores, ice cream and kebab shops, restaurants, bakeries and bookstores.
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, said Saturday that Israel and America will “regret their actions.”
“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors,” Larijani posted on X.
