(LEX 18) — Two Iranian PhD candidates studying in Kentucky are watching a war unfold thousands of miles away, unable to freely communicate with their families and fearful of retaliation from the Iranian government — even from abroad.
Sardar Rahbar and Farshid Taherpour are both pursuing doctoral degrees while their home country faces escalating conflict. Rahbar is from Kurdistan, an area in western Iran, where he says missiles have been striking his home city.
"There is no limitation. They can kill children. They can kill women. They can kill anyone. I mean, they don't care," Rahbar said.
The stress of the situation has taken a physical toll on Rahbar.
"I have a hair loss, a part of hair loss on my body also a part of, I don't know, it was like some scratch on my body. All of them is because of the stress," Rahbar said.
Despite the violence, Rahbar is careful to distinguish between the Iranian government and the Iranian people.
"We are a peaceful, civilized people which we are occupied by Islamic regime," Rahbar said.
"This is a terrorist organization," Rahbar added.
Communication with family back home is limited and fraught with risk. Both students say they do not speak freely on phone calls, fearing their conversations are being monitored. Getting a hold of family members is a challenge.
"I don't think that any one of them have accessibility to the internet," Rahbar said.
Taherpour described the narrow window he has to connect with loved ones.
"Only they call as a direct line for only two minutes or under two minutes because after that the phone cut off," Taherpour said.
The Iranian government's grip on information compounds the isolation. Taherpour says his family is unaware of the full scope of the conflict because the country relies on state-run media.
"Most of the time the government try to suppress and expose pressure on their people," Taherpour said.
"I told my mother, you only see the Iranian media and the reality is different," Taherpour continued.
The reach of Iranian authorities has extended to the United States, following Rahbar. He says that after sharing his thoughts about the conflict on a private Instagram account, officials visited his family.
"The situation is extreme," Rahbar said.
Both students say they hope for a future led by someone who puts the Iranian people first.
"After this dictatorship, the world is a better place for us," Taherpour said.
