Iranian Americans living in Corpus Christi say they are feeling a mix of emotions following US strikes on Iran grief over the lives lost, but hope for what may come next. Iranian Americans in Corpus Christi react to U.S. strike s on Iran with mix of grief and hopeBenson Karimi, an Iranian American living in Corpus Christi, said the reaction among his family has been complicated."My family is worried about the war, but at the same time they're happy."For Karimi, those emotions run deeper when reflecting on what led to this moment and the more than 30,000 lives lost."The people were only chanting and asking for their freedom for a better life, for a better economic situation but the response from the regime was brutal."Karimi and Zahra Hormos are both originally from Iran and now serve as educators at Texas AM University Corpus Christi.Hormos said the two came to the United States seeking a better life."We moved here for a better life, and we love it here."After seeing their homeland struck, both described feeling a sense of relief."When we heard about the attack, we were happy that it happened," Hormos said.The strikes reportedly killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Karimi said the reaction among Iranians he knows has been largely the same."I haven't seen a single Iranian who's upset."Both say this moment carries mixed emotions grief for the lives lost, but hope for change."Nobody likes war, but sometimes as President Trump mentioned it's peace through strength. Sometimes that's what it takes," Karimi said.Karimi said the loss of life weighs heavily on him, from Iranian civilians to fallen soldiers."They fought for freedom, and they'll have a special place in our hearts forever," he said.It is a fight, he said, he will never forget."And we owe them forever," he added.Local families say they will be watching closely as events continue to unfold, seeing the attack as a step closer to freedom.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today! ...read more read less