For Iranians eager for change, Trump's threats turned hope into terror

This version of Trumps War Comments Scare Iranians Change Rcna266901 - World News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.

The president’s extreme statements left many Iranians dreading the future instead of hoping the war launched by the U.S. and Israel helps produce a fairer society.

Photo illustration of Donald Trump's eyes, with a split screen of green and red showing an airstrike in Iran.

Many Iranians “may feel caught between a regime that represses and a war that devastates,” according to Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.NBC News; Getty Images

April 7, 2026, 3:32 PM EDT / Updated April 7, 2026, 9:28 PM EDT

By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Sara Monetta

When the United States and Israel launched the war with Iran more than a month ago, President Donald Trump declared that “freedom is at hand” for its people and called on them to take over the government.

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