NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nafiseh Najafi, owner of Taste of Persia in Nashville, has not been able to reach her family in Tehran for nearly a full day as attacks on Iran leave her and Iranians around the world in suspense.
Najafi, who was born in Iran and has lived in multiple countries, said the past two months have been especially difficult.
"The last two months were the most difficult time for all Iranians around the world," Najafi said.
She described the moment she learned of the attacks and the agonizing hours that followed.
"Right before Israel attacked Iran, I messaged my friends and family. Only one of them was connected, and they said, 'Yes, it's bombing.' Then I couldn't contact anyone for almost 24 hours. I kept calling but couldn't reach anybody to see what was really happening," Najafi said.
Najafi has brought her Iranian culture with her to Nashville, where every recipe and menu item at Taste of Persia reflects family traditions.
"All of the recipes in our restaurant are based on our family recipes, from my dad's restaurants in Malaysia. I just keep doing the same things here. I try to show people the true story of Persia," she said. "The food, the design of the restaurant, the menu, even the history. Many people don't even know where Persia is, or what's happening in Iran. I want people to know the real story."
Even amid fear and uncertainty, Najafi said the Iranian community here and abroad is cautiously optimistic about the future.
"Hopefully we can change the governments. My hope is something like that — President, Congress, democracy — so people can decide for their future. I really hope for this," Najafi said.
I spoke with Najafi in Nashville, where she continues to keep her family close in spirit and her culture alive through every dish she serves.
Have you or someone you know been affected by the conflict in Iran? Are you part of Nashville's Iranian community and want to share your story? We want to hear from you — and we want to show your story to Middle Tennessee. Watch the full video report above, and reach out directly to reporter Kim Rafferty to share your experience or connect with our team.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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