As the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets continued into a second day following the death of leader Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranians living in Denver weighed in, saying they welcome the opportunity for a regime change in the Islamic Republic.

“The majority of Iranians not only in Colorado but in Europe and inside Iran are celebrating the killing of Khomeini,” Babak Behzadi, an Arapahoe County pharmacist, told The Denver Gazette Sunday.

“Imagine being stuck in a big prison called Iran,” Behzadi said, adding that he is a longtime supporter of creating an Iranian constitutional democracy. “I wish we could have overthrown the government ourselves, but the protests have not stopped, and Iranians are clearly celebrating this.”

Behzadi said he was disappointed with some media coverage of the reaction of Colorado Iranians, saying it had been slanted. He estimates that size of the Iranian population here at around 10,000.

Members of Denver’s Jewish community heard of the unfolding situation, including the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, as they headed to morning services Saturday.

“For almost 50 years Iranians have killed American servicemen around the world under Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard,” Rabbi Rick Rheins at Temple Sinai, a Reform congregation in Denver, told The Denver Gazette.

“They not only personally attacked Americans but have been the chief sponsor of terrorism around the world,” Rheins said. “The Iranian people demanded regime change, but the Guard murdered their own people by the tens of thousands.”

Other Jewish leaders mirrored that sentiment.

“We pray that the objectives are reached and that there will be a time when Israelis are not worried about who is trying to kill them,” said Rabbi Sarah Shulman at the Hebrew Educational Alliance, a conservative movement congregation in southeast Denver.

Not all Colorado Jews voiced their support for the military operation, and some condemned the attack. They included Colorado residents attending a policy conference of J Street in Washington, D.C. J Street describes itself as “pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans.” 

“We are appalled by President Trump’s reckless decision to launch a war of choice against Iran explicitly seeking regime change,” the organization said following the initial attack. “The President is starting this war with no clear plan for achieving his goal; without a comprehensive discussion with the American public about the risks and alternatives; and illegally, without first seeking authorization from Congress or a mandate from the international community.”

All sides voiced worries for the safety of U.S. forces, as first reports of casualties began arriving. They said they also worry for Iranian civilians, as they weather ongoing dangers from the military operation and retaliations, as well from continued oppression from the Iranian regime.

Many welcomed the operation.

“I think it was great,” Lynn Geller, an Englewood strategic planning consultant, said in reference to the attack. “I think the world is going to be a safer place, and I pray that the Iranian people can find a leader that will bring Iran back to being the wonderful country it used to be.”

A Denver area physician who asked not to be identified, said he is highly critical of Trump for “ethical, moral, social and philosophical reasons,” but that he doesn’t oppose Saturday’s attack.

“If we let this go down the road and they refortify their facilities, it’s going to be harder to deal with it in the future,” he said of the Iranian government. “I would hope a new regime would allow some real peace to occur in the Middle East.”

In his comments, Rheins, the rabbi, noted that on Monday night Jews mark the festival of Purim, when they read the Book of Esther, the biblical story recalling how she thwarted a mass murder of Jews in ancient Persia.

“So, maybe we’re seeing the Purim story in our own day.  Once again there is hope,” he said.