CNN’s Clarissa Ward: Iranians View Their Nuclear Program as Essential for Their Self-Defense

COLBERT You ve reported ░░░░░░░░ Iran in the past ░░░░░░░░ have contact with Iranian ░░░░░░░░ who Iran is a ░░░░░░░░ of a black box ░░░░░░░░ Americans It s not ░░░░░░░░ the hermit kingdom that ░░░░░░░░ Korea is but we ░░░░░░░░ t really know much ░░░░░░░░ the average Iranians over ░░░░░░░░ What is the view ░░░░░░░░ what you know of ░░░░░░░░ the United States has ░░░░░░░░ with Israel to the ░░░░░░░░ on the street WARD ░░░░░░░░ first of all I ░░░░░░░░ we have to start ░░░░░░░░ by saying that Iran ░░░░░░░░ not a monolith right ░░░░░░░░ there are lots of ░░░░░░░░ people with different opinions ░░░░░░░░ voices The voices that ░░░░░░░░ really haven t heard ░░░░░░░░ during this whole conflict ░░░░░░░░ have been reaching out ░░░░░░░░ me on my social ░░░░░░░░ and saying Please listen ░░░░░░░░ us which I think ░░░░░░░░ bears reflecting on most ░░░░░░░░ them are women Most ░░░░░░░░ them were supporters of ░░░░░░░░ uprising against the Iranian ░░░░░░░░ against the compulsory hijab ░░░░░░░░ feel sort of trapped ░░░░░░░░ the devil and a ░░░░░░░░ place in a sense ░░░░░░░░ they hate the Iranian ░░░░░░░░ many of them have ░░░░░░░░ oppressed by it imprisoned ░░░░░░░░ ve lost loved ones ░░░░░░░░ at the same time ░░░░░░░░ tend to be very ░░░░░░░░ as well and they ░░░░░░░░ t have any love ░░░░░░░░ Israel they don t ░░░░░░░░ what they see happening ░░░░░░░░ Gaza and so they ░░░░░░░░ fearful of speaking out ░░░░░░░░ they don t feel ░░░░░░░░ they don t feel ░░░░░░░░ And they re very ░░░░░░░░ in this particular moment ░░░░░░░░ that there s going ░░░░░░░░ be retribution Now that ░░░░░░░░ hostilities have stopped the ░░░░░░░░ has a chance to ░░░░░░░░ regroup They re worried ░░░░░░░░ there s going to ░░░░░░░░ a witch hunt against ░░░░░░░░ who will be accused ░░░░░░░░ having collaborated with the ░░░░░░░░ or having supported the ░░░░░░░░ So they are deeply ░░░░░░░░ They are underground Their ░░░░░░░░ haven t been heard ░░░░░░░░ the same time there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of Iranians ░░░░░░░░ support the current regime ░░░░░░░░ feel outraged by what ░░░░░░░░ has done and who ░░░░░░░░ their nuclear program as ░░░░░░░░ absolutely existentially essential for ░░░░░░░░ self defense And so ░░░░░░░░ s important to try ░░░░░░░░ like sit with the ░░░░░░░░ of many different viewpoints ░░░░░░░░ then you have the ░░░░░░░░ in diaspora many of ░░░░░░░░ actually support Israel and ░░░░░░░░ Israel has done So ░░░░░░░░ s not a black ░░░░░░░░ white picture but a ░░░░░░░░ of people reaching out ░░░░░░░░ me really afraid right ░░░░░░░░