Westchester doctor who fled Iran at a young age explains why her family had to leave
Dr. Laila Zacharoulis was born in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War following the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
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Amidst mounting tensions in the Middle East, Westchester resident and Iranian native Dr. Laila Zacharoulis spoke with News 12 about her hopes following the U.S. military's bombings of three Iranian Nuclear Sites.
Eventually, she made her way to Westchester County.
"You can see from a lot of the people who are living outside of Iran, that's why we had to leave – because we couldn't fit within the Islamic Republic," said Dr. Zacharoulis.
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She agrees with President Trump's distinction between the Iranian regime and Iranian people.
"I'm hoping that the supreme leader will step down finally and stop this continuous support for the Islamic Republic to gain nuclear weapons and support the other terrorist proxy groups within the region," she said.
Zacharoulis still has family in Iran, who she's had difficulty keeping in touch with over the Iranian government's control over internet access. Though, she stays hopeful that with recent events, one day she might be able to return home.
"All these years, I've never even discussed it with my children. Now I'm talking to them and there's a chance we may one day be able to go and visit. Just having hope is a new feeling for me."
New York is home to one of the largest populations of Iranians in the United States.
