Press statement from Iranian Community in South Africa, released on Saturday
As Operation Lions Roar begins today, February 28, we speak not only as members of the Iranian community in South Africa, but as sons and daughters of an ancient nation whose history is intertwined with that of Israel.
At this sacred time of Purim, when Jews around the world commemorate salvation from annihilation in ancient Persia, we pray for the safety of both the Iranian and Israeli nations. May the Lion of Judah roar. May justice rise. May evil fall.
Our shared story stretches back more than 2 500 years to King Cyrus the Great, who liberated the Jewish people and enabled them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. The Persian empire did not seek to destroy the Jewish people, it protected them. That legacy of tolerance and respect is part of the true Iranian identity.
In modern times, under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iran and Israel enjoyed a strong and open partnership. Iran was the second nation in the region to recognise the State of Israel. Our peoples cooperated in trade, agriculture, medicine, and security. It was a relationship rooted in mutual respect and shared strategic vision.
That Iran was stolen in 1979.
For 47 years the Islamic regime has poured the wealth of our nation into a singular obsession: the destruction of Israel. Instead of building schools, hospitals, and opportunity for Iranians, it has funded terror proxies, destabilised the region, and threatened genocide. The regime’s leaders openly call for Israel to be wiped off the map while ordinary Iranians struggle under crushing sanctions, corruption, and repression.
At home, this same regime has shown unspeakable cruelty toward its own people. Peaceful protesters – women, students, workers – have been massacred, beaten, and imprisoned for demanding basic freedoms. The world has witnessed young Iranians executed or silenced simply for raising their voices. The regime that chants “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” has also declared war on its own citizens.
Let it be clear: the Islamic regime does not represent the Iranian people. Millions of Iranians, inside the country and across the diaspora, have long hoped that the free world would confront this threat – not only for Israel’s safety, but for Iran’s liberation. Today, as the United States and Israel act through Operation Lions Roar, we express our gratitude. We thank them for taking steps to confront a regime that has terrorised both our nations and much of the region for nearly half a century.
We pray for the safety of the American servicemen and the Israeli people and for the protection of the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who place themselves in harm’s way in confronting this demonic regime. We thank the IDF on behalf of millions of Iranians who cannot speak freely but who know that this fight is not against Iran – it is against tyranny.
We condemn unequivocally the Islamic regime’s 47 years of support for terrorism and regional chaos. We call on the government of South Africa to immediately cease its political alignment with and support for this regime. Standing with the oppressor of the Iranian people is not a position of moral leadership; it is a betrayal of the very principles of freedom and human dignity.
We envision a different future: an Iran restored to its people, an Israel secure within its borders, and a renewed partnership between two biblical nations whose histories are bound together. A future of cooperation, prosperity and peace – not only for our region, but for the world.
At this time of Purim, we remember that evil does not endure forever. The story of Persia and the Jewish people is not one of annihilation, but of survival and redemption.
May the Lion of Judah roar.
May Iran be free.
May Israel be safe.
May peace prevail!
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