Iranians in the U.S. fear for family back home

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g-r-a-d. W-b-u-r podcasts Boston. While there it will take time and energy and planning

for everyone to come to one clear census about what the plan B is, the Iranian people on the ground

are paying the price with their blood. The political outcomes of war in the Middle East

are uncertain, but civilians are already suffering.

It's Wednesday, March 4th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBWR. I'm Chris Bentley.

Today on the show, a former Homeland Security Secretary worries about terrorist blowback

from the U.S. Israeli attack on Iran. Also, the midterm election season has begun

with primary results in for several races, including U.S. Senate in Texas.

We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you by the seat.

The head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says she likes her odds for flipping

the House, coming up at about 15 minutes. But first, today Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

said the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, now in its fifth day, is just beginning.

And as President Trump said, more and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started.

We are accelerating, not decelerating. Hegseth also said an American submarine

torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, in international waters off Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka authorities said there were 180 people on board. 32 of them were rescued,

and 87 bodies were recovered so far, adding to a death toll of more than 1,000 people in the war,

most of them in Iran, according to the Red Crescent and Authorities in the region.

Today, we got the perspective of Iranian-American journalist Yaganat Rezayan, who was imprisoned

by the government in 2014, along with her American husband Jason Rezayan, who was then the Tehran

bureau chief for the Washington Post. She was held for more than two months. Her husband was

held for 544 days in Iran's most notorious prison and tortured. Yaganat Rezayan spoke to

Indira Lakshmanan from Washington DC. So what was your reaction when you heard that Iran's

supreme leader, the man under whom you and your husband were imprisoned, had been killed by an

Israeli strike? First of all, my first reaction was happiness. I am very happy to see that a dictator

was eliminated from my country, from torturing my people in many different ways, from economic

to to literal physical in the hands of him and in the by the orders of him. But unfortunately,

that happiness is completely overshadowed by the realities on the ground and what the people

are going through. And the fact that his elimination, he does not immediately in the short time

translate into the freedom of the people and the prosperity of the people and the

suffering of the people. Well, you're pointing out something which we've seen reported that there

were some Iranians celebrating in the street after hearing the news of the death of the supreme

leader. But at the same time, the Iranian Red Crescent has reported that some 800 Iranian people

have been killed in these airstrikes. So I want to ask, what are you hearing from your parents,

your family members, your friends who are still inside Iran? What is the mood like there?

Well, again, that's a very correct observation. There were some with all some videos and short

footages of people quickly celebrate. But unfortunately, their celebrations was immediately

faced by security forces coming back to the streets and trying to shoot at people. Since then,

I was told by friends and family that people are receiving these SMSes on their phones.

They're attending them, that they should not appear in the streets or gather anywhere in groups

to have any forms of gathering, let alone two celebrations. And that will immediately be met by

by arrests and prosecution. What about your communication with your own family? What are your

concerns for their safety? It's very difficult once the government shut down internet and even

landlines or cell phones. Often I lost loose touch with my family members for days with friends.

But you asked something in your previous question about what's the mood? People are despite that

short celebration and happiness due to the elimination of supreme leader. Our panic, our frightened,

are very worried. I was chatting with a couple of my friends who leave in the same neighborhood

that I was born and raised in and they told me they could not sleep for two nights in a row because

just the sound of explosions and this is in northwest of Tehran where extremely unbearable

and the family members were just holding onto each other and shaking the people one freedom.

But this is absolutely inhumane and unfair to the same people who have been stripped of their

freedoms by this regime for many years. They have set up industrial industries, many, many

checkpoints, checking on people's coming and going. Again, industries of Tehran and other cities.

What I hope the Western or the international community sees that this war is not going to provide

any immediate freedom to the people and I am only on the side of the people because I am one of them

and they are the ones who are paying the price despite putting a brave face out, hoping that this

will lead to their freedom. And all I'm worried about is that this is not what if it does not translate

to their freedom. What if this won't put an end to this regime? Their arrests are continuing,

the political prisoners, including several dual citizens and foreigners are in really bad position

at Avin Prison. There are reports saying that the guards have left prisons in multiple locations

including Avin Prison and prisoners are left with only water and like dry bread. There is nobody

to hear them. There is nobody to help them if Avin Prison is shot by a missile to help and

open the door for these prisoners. Satellite connections have been jammed. Yeah, I can hear in your

voice your concern for everyone in Iran for all of the civilians who are living under a repressive

regime. What's specifically about your concerns about your parents, your sister, what are your

worries about their safety? Well, like every other Iranian inside and outside the country, I'm

worried about my family as well. I'm worried about my sister who's paralyzed and does not even have

her feet to run away if a bomb lands on her. Despite the elimination of Supreme Leader,

this is not a regime that will fall today. Let me ask you, the whole question is regime change

and whether that's the goal of the Trump administration. But a lot of observers are bringing up the

Iraq war, which lasted nearly nine years. Do you worry that history might repeat itself

with more violence and more cost on the ground to the people of Iran if the U.S. goes even further

in pursuing regime change there along with its partners in Israel? Yes, I'm extremely worried about

that President Trump seems to be confused in his remarks about who he thinks would be the

transitional leader or any next leader. There is so much chaos on the ground and even here

within the U.S. government, so much on clarity. And while there it will take time for everyone

to come to one clear census about what the plan B is, the Iranian people on the ground are paying

the price with their blood. Yagane Rezayan was wrongfully detained in Iran more than 10 years ago.

She's now a journalist in exile living in Washington, DC. Yaggi, thank you so much for joining us

and sharing your story and everything you're hearing from your family and friends back home.

Thank you so much for having me and for giving voice to do Iranians everywhere.

We've got more on the war and possible implications for security in the U.S. after the break.

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terms and conditions apply. Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome

is defending her department's use of aggressive tactics and immigration enforcement before Congress

this week in hearings with the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Those tactics have included federal agents shooting two U.S. citizens dead in the streets of

Minneapolis, Renee McLean Good and Alex Prety. Even Republican Senator Tom Tillis joined calls

for Nome to step down. That is Stonewalling, that's a failure of leadership and that is why I've

called for your resignation. We wanted to hear the perspective of a former Homeland Security

Secretary on that and on the potential Homeland Security implications of the Iran war.

So, earlier today, Indira spoke with Jay Johnson. He was head of DHS under President Barack Obama.

So, we'll get to Secretary Nome's testimony, but first, let's talk about the Iran war.

Sent Com Commander Admiral Brad Cooper released this video. Let's listen.

And we continue with 24 seven strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace.

So, let's take those assertions in turn. First, Admiral Cooper says that Iran was a threat to

Americans for nearly half a century. You've reviewed the intelligence. You were sitting in the seat

there of Homeland Security. How much of a threat was Iran to the U.S.?

So, because I read intelligence briefings every day when I was at the Department of Homeland Security

under the Department of Defense, and that ended nine years ago, I know what I don't know.

I paid intense attention to my intel briefings. And then if I had time, frankly, I'd go read

open news sources because intelligence is your eyes and ears when you're in an official security job.

We all respond to that is one of the few things that the Trump presidency, the Trump

administration's one and two, retained from the Department of Homeland Security, I led

with the N-TAS system, the national threat advisory system. We got away from the color coded

bars. I'm sure you remember those. Sure. And more descriptive analysis of what Americans should

be aware of, what their government is doing about it, and what they can do. If you go to the

H.S. website now, or you go to the N-TAS website now, you get a big red

that says, because of laps in federal funding, we are not actively monitoring and updating this site.

So, Americans cannot look to their Department of Homeland Security to tell them what they need to

know about any potential domestic threats given that we are now at war. Okay. So I hear what you're

saying we don't actually know what the threat is on the homeland. I want to go to another point,

Admiral Cooper said that the U.S. in the first 24 hours used twice the firepower against Iran that

the U.S. military had at the start of the Iraq war. And just this morning Defense Secretary Pete

Hegseth said the military campaign in Iran is increasing, not decreasing. So I have to ask you,

have we learned the lessons of long drawn out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

No, I fear the answer is no. First, I was struck by that comment that the combat operations

are intensifying the way the President characterized it. It's sort of like a one and done thing where

we went in, decapitated the leadership, and now it's up to the Iranian people to take their country back.

That's the way he characterized it over the weekend. It seems to be something that is going to be

much more drawn out. I fear that once the generation, we have to relearn the mistakes of history.

We cannot nation build, protracted engagements, boots on the ground, or you try to revolutionize

a country where you try to get the citizenry of that country to readjust their own thinking

and attitude toward the United States is not really possible. If I were in the situation

room now, one of the things I would be asking of the intelligence communities, what is our assessment

of the mood in Iran once we've decapitated their leadership, taken out the person who was their

supreme leader since 1989, and invaded their sovereignty. Is there going to be some gigantic

anti-American backlash if you would suggest the answer to that as yes?

Well, let's follow up on that directly because we know that Iran and its proxy groups are capable

of sowing terror beyond their borders. We saw that happen when we had targets in Iraq,

and Iraqi militants and their allies sowed plenty of terror against US targets both in the US

and around the world. I know we don't have that red-orange yellow threat system you mentioned

anymore, but how concerned should we be about increased risks to the safety of Americans at home now?

Two answers. One, terrorist groups are not conventional armies. It is a battlefield commander in

Afghanistan once told me that you have to be wary that for every terrorist you kill,

you may be inspiring too more. So that's one dynamic here. The other, when I was in office,

and we faced a heightened security situation, I would put out an end to our report describing

the threat, describing what we're doing, and describing what Americans themselves can do if you

see something, say something. Terrorist threats can be broken into three categories. Terrorist

directed attacks, directing large-scale attacks on the homeland, like 9-11, or the attempted

shoe bomber, or the attempted underwear bomber, or the attempted UPS package plot, I sure

you remember those. And then there are things called terrorist-inspired attacks, where someone

already living in the United States is inspired by a call from Hezbollah or a mosque or some other

terrorist organization to commit an act of terrorism here in the United States. So you may have

been thinking of the situation in Austin, Texas, where a man wearing a t-shirt that said property

of Allah launched a shooting. Exactly. Or San Bernardino 10 years ago, Paris Nightclub and Florida,

they're string of those. Or the lone wolf, someone who doesn't particularly follow the ideology

of a terrorist group, but is deranged, dangerous, and wants to commit mass destruction. Unfortunately,

we see those on a random basis, and there's no real trend line there. And so we have to be

we have to be wary of all of it. I have to believe that there is a heightened

threat environment of some sort, given what we've done in Iran. But again, I don't read daily

intel reports, but I imagine that our government owes us a better, more coherent, clearer

explanation of exactly what we in the homeland should be concerned about. All right, well, I want to

always be candid and honest to the extent you can. I want to play you some tape from today's hearing,

representative Zolaughren, a Democrat from California, asked Secretary Nome whether federal

immigration agents are being properly trained. Let's listen. Our agents trained to break the windows

of people whose cars they encounter and drag them out forcibly without asking questions.

Is that their training? Congresswoman, our officers are all trained

for situations where they're interacting with the public and where they are detaining someone

or arresting them. Secretary Johnson, in the 30 seconds, we have left what changes do you think

are needed at ICE in terms of training and tactics? What I see in the video images is an

ill-trained force that is itching for a fight. It is so important across the law enforcement,

whether it's ICE, whether it's the NYPD, whether it's the Boston Police Department,

to be trained in tactics of de-escalation, learning how to de-escalate a situation so that

tragically someone like Renee Goethe or Alex Petri is killed unnecessarily. De-escalation is the

key to these kinds of confrontations. That is former Homeland Security Secretary Jay Johnson,

who served under President Barack Obama, Secretary Johnson. Thank you so much.

Coming up, the war in Iran showed up in some last-minute campaign ads earlier this week,

as candidates headed into primaries. After the break, Indira speaks with the head of the Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee about the results of some of those elections and what they might

mean for November. Stick around.

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To learn more about the Democratic Party's plan to flip Congress from red to blue this fall,

we turn now to Congresswoman Susan DelBene of Washington State who shares the Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee. She leads efforts to get Democrats elected to the House of

Representatives. Congresswoman DelBene, welcome. Thanks. Thanks for having me. So after last night's

primary results in Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, how are you feeling about the Democrats'

chances for November? You know, we need three seats to take back the majority, and I think last

night showed yet again how motivated Democrats are for change in Congress, not just Democrats,

but the American people are for change in Congress. People have been souring on Republicans broken

promises, and we saw just large turnout last night in these primaries, which really shows how

motivated and how important this is to the American people. Give us the through line from last

nights results and last night's campaigns. What is the Democratic Party's message heading into

the midterms? Well, I think, first of all, people are reacting to the broken promises that they've

seen from the president and from Republicans in Congress. A promise on day one to lower costs,

yet costs have been skyrocketing because of actions taken by the president and Republicans in

Congress, the impact on housing, food, healthcare, energy costs all going up. Another broken promise

on the ground, they said they were going to go after the worst of the worst on immigration,

and yet we have communities across the country who have been terrorized. And then now we have a

situation where a president who said no forever wars has taken action without going to Congress,

and without justification or explanation to the American people. Folks want people who are going

to focus on the needs of the American people. So talk to us about the dozen candidates or so

who are trying to win Republican held seats in states from Tennessee and North Carolina to Wisconsin.

Who are these candidates? What is their background? These are folks running in purple districts

across the country who are authentic, independent-minded members of their community. You want to come

to Washington DC to make a difference. Folks like Joe Mendoza, Marine veteran in Southern California,

Jonathan Nez also are in Southern Arizona, also Jonathan Nez in Arizona, former president

of the Navajo Nation, veterans who are mayors in their community, ministers, farmers, strong

backgrounds of community service. And again, who are authentic, independent-minded,

who want to come to Congress to make a difference and to stand up for the needs of their communities.

I was struck following the results in North Carolina that Democrat Roy Cooper,

who is vying to flip the Senate seat there that Republican Tom Tillis is vacating,

didn't even mention being a Democrat in his remarks after his primary victory last night.

I'll be a strong, independent senator who will work with this president when I can

and stand up to him when the people need me to.

So more broadly, beyond Roy Cooper, are we seeing Democratic candidates in purple states

and districts trying to distance themselves from the Democratic Party brand?

I actually think folks are being very vocal about what they stand for, what they're going to do

for their communities. And I think we are united and wanting to have a Congress that works for

the American people. So in North Carolina, we have folks like Don Davis, who's been a trusted

representative of that community, came through in his primary Jamie Ager, who won the primary

in North Carolina 11. These are folks who are ready and Don Davis, an incumbent member who are

standing up for their communities and are speaking out and are talking directly to people about

the issues that matter. That's what people want to hear. They want to know that folks are going

to work for them and people are communicating that directly with their constituents.

So you and the D-Triple C have to balance between on the one hand trying to attract

independence and Republicans. On the other side, you've got Democrats who are very dissatisfied

with the Democrats in Congress saying they're not doing enough to push back on Trump's agenda.

What is your strategy for energizing them in these midterms?

Well, I think we saw in turnout even yesterday and we've seen in special elections across the

country, people are turning out. They are voting. We've seen big flips in districts already,

whether it's in congressional special elections that have happened since November of 2024.

We've seen 17% overperformance by Democrats in special elections generally across the country.

13% overperformance by Democrats. People understandably across the country are frustrated.

They're scared. They're struggling and they want folks who are standing up for them.

We have great candidates who are standing up for them and you're seeing that in the votes

that we've seen already, but absolutely a big reason we'll take back the House in November.

Congresswoman Susan Dillbene of Washington State chairs the Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee. Thank you so much for joining us, Congresswoman.

Thank you.

That's it for the show today. Here and now any time comes from NPR and WB our Boston.

Today's story is reproduced by Jill Ryan, Wilder Fleming and Will Walkie.

Our editors were Todd Mont, Mikaela Rodriguez, Michael Scado and Cat Welch.

Technical direction from Caleb Green and James Trout.

Our theme music is by Mika Scado, Max Liebman and me, Chris Bentley.

Our digital producers are Alison Hagen and Grace Griffin and here and now's executive producer

is Alan Price. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you tomorrow.

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