Name: Iran residents respond to U.S. strikes
Uploaded: 2025-06-22T20:40:16.590Z
Duration: 2 min 8 s
Description: CNN’s Fred Pleitgen is on the streets of Tehran, Iran’s capital city, a day after US President Donald Trump confirmed he approved US strikes on Iran. Hear from residents in the city who say the strikes strengthen their support for Iranian leadership.

CNN’s Fred Pleitgen is on the streets of Tehran, Iran’s capital city, a day after US President Donald Trump confirmed he approved US strikes on Iran. Hear from residents in the city who say the strikes strengthen their support for Iranian leadership.

Tehran

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Residents of Tehran have reacted with anger and defiance following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, as confirmed by President Donald Trump. Many people interviewed on the streets voiced strong criticism of the United States and expressed increased support for Iran's leadership, stating that the attacks have only strengthened their resolve.

Iranian officials have condemned the strikes, warning of long-term consequences and emphasizing their ability to resist further U.S. actions. The leadership also pointed to the presence of pro-Iranian militias near American military bases in the region, suggesting potential challenges for the U.S. as tensions escalate.

Iran residents respond to U.S. strikes

Iran's leadership has absolutely blasted the Trump administration for bombing several Iranian nuclear sites. In fact, the country's foreign minister has come out and said that the United States has begun what he calls a dangerous war and that there would be, as he also says, everlasting consequences. Now, we are in the Iranian capital, in Tehran, and we've spoken to a lot of folks here on the street. And a lot of them say they are very angry at the United States. They voiced that anger to us and also absolutely ripped into President Trump. They attacked us, she says. We were living our normal lives and they attacked us. If someone strikes the United States, would they not answer? Of course they would. We are not doing anything but defending ourselves. Iranian people are people of honor and we will definitely give a strong response, this man says. We will stand strongly like we have been for the past 40 years. There is no one dirtier than Trump, he says. First he gives us two weeks' time, but then after two days strikes us. We do not have nuclear weapons. So why does he strike us? Such a guy only thinks about his own benefit. I support the supreme leader with my life, he says. I approve of him, really, because he's moving forward for the sake of our land. So as you can see, a lot of people saying that, if anything, this has strengthened their support for their leadership. All this, by the way, comes as a lot of folks are coming back to Tehran, a lot of shops are opening again, after many people had left fearing that there could be a big bombing campaign by the Israelis and by the Trump administration. Iran's leadership has warned the U.S. that Iran has many things at its disposal with which it could resist, as it puts it, the United States. One of the things, of course, that they keep talking about is the militias in the Middle Eastern region that are loyal to Iran. There's Iranian commanders who have said, look, next to almost every American military base in the region, there is a militia that is loyal to Iran, and that could cause trouble for the U.S. At the same time, Iran's leadership says it understands that right now it has entered into a phase of serious conflict with the United States.

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Iran residents respond to U.S. strikes

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