Irish-Iranian UL student Ava Akarbi, is hopeful the the extension of the ceasefire in Iran will prolong the safety of citizens, as concerns for family members remain high among students with ties to the region.
Last night, US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire would continue “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”
For Akarbi, whose parents moved to Ireland from Isfahan, the decision offers some reassurance.
“It’s great to hear,” she said. “I know my family will be safe a little bit longer.”
The 19-year-old remains cautiously optimistic about peace in the region. She fears the ceasefire will not hold, expressing her concern about Trump’s omission of a timeframe on the ceasefire extension.
A second year nursing student at University of Limerick, Akarbai was born and raised in Dublin but many of her wider family still live in Iran.
“The whole family tree, essentially, is over there [in Iran].” She shares concerns for the wellbeing of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
She also has mixed feelings about the conflict as whole.
“That [Iranian] regime has no remorse, no empathy, no care for their own people. Trump took out the Supreme Leader, we were all happy about that. But now we’re seeing lots of civilian casualties. We’re seeing bombing of historical structures, erasing our culture essentially.”
She continues, “It’s a double-edged sword. From one side, our government massacred loads of people in January, around 30,000 people, and now we’re getting bombed. It’s a lose-lose situation.”
She talks of the need for freedom from the brutality of the current regime, but emphasises that both sides are extreme.
Ava’s cousin is a pilot in Iran’s army. She insists that many within the ranks of Iran’s military do not agree with the regime and are forced to serve or face punishment.
While she says it is difficult to make contact with family and friends in the country due to government-enforced internet blackouts, she was able to confirm her family’s safety.
A recent air strike targeted a group of pilots, with her cousin being the only survivor.
Trump also vowed to continue to continue the US blockades. There have been reports of Iranian strikes breaking the ceasefire already this morning in the Strait of Hormuz.