SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, referred to the Cyrus Cylinder as the first declaration of universal human rights. A replica of the ancient artifact sits in Taghi Alereza's home and serves as a reminder of his dream for his motherland.
"If you don't have rights, you don't have anything else," said Taghi Alereza, the former Chairman of the Sacramento Iranian American Chamber of Commerce.
That's why the prominent Iranian-American Sacramento community leader said he's happy to hear U.S. forces assassinated Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian military commander who Pentagon officials say was planning a campaign of violence against Americans.
"I thank the president for taking these actions, and I hope he will continue doing the same support — providing support to Iranian people," Alereza said.
Alereza said he sees the strike as a step towards Democracy for Iran and a sign of America's strong support of its people.
Alereza, who has called the Sacramento area home for more than 40 years, has not been able to visit his homeland since 1975, just a few years before the Iranian Revolution ousted the last monarch of Iran. Since then, he's worked to support the opposition.
Reactions, though, have been mixed among Iranian-Americans. The National Iranian American council issued a statement, condemning the airstrike as a "reckless move" that would be viewed as an act of war.
“Iran is a nation of 80 million innocent people, most of whom do not want war and oppose the actions of their own government. Similarly, Iraq is a nation of 38 million who deserve peace after lives filled with war. And the American people have seen enough of wars in the Middle East that have no end, only new beginnings. Yet many thousands of innocents in each country will be the victims of a conflict that will be difficult to confine within any one nation’s borders," said NIAC President Jamal Abdi.
Meanwhile, Iran has vowed revenge against the U.S., stoking fear of war and cyber attacks. That is not the case for Alereza.
"I don't think Iran would even dream of escalating to this to a full war, because that would be total elimination for them."
However, some academic experts say retaliation is imminent. The question is: In what form?
Joe Barnes, a Rice University professor, told ABC News a direct Iranian attack on American soil or bases is unlikely — but the country's network of proxies should not be underestimated.
"They have many proxies in the Middle East," Rice said. "They are very capable. They are very deadly."
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Van Tieu.
READ MORE:
FOR NEWS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, DOWNLOAD THE ABC10 APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for ABC10's Daily Blend Newsletter