UTM students hold a deputation at Mississauga City Hall in “fight for solidarity” with Iran
The outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has exacerbated human rights challenges in the region.
On March 11, students from the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Persian Students’ Association (PSA) held a deputation to Mississauga City Council in a “fight for solidarity” with Iranians in the city and around the world.
In front of an audience of city officials, Athena Savoji, a PSA executive, detailed the “uncertainty and fear” that both earlier protests and the current U.S.-Israel war with Iran have brought upon the Iranian-Canadian community. Ultimately, she advocated for a formal recognition of affirmation and solidarity towards the Iranian community in Mississauga.
“When events unfold across the world, the emotional impact does not stop at national borders. It follows people into their communities,” Savoji stated.
Following the deputation, PSA President Bita Khaleghisohi provided statements to The Medium via email about the deputation and the current situation in Iran.
Speaking on Savoji’s address, Khaleghisohi said, “She highlighted the lack of support from the Mississauga community for the Iranian community, who have been suffering for the past month. She successfully conveyed her message and requested a public statement from the council and a flag-raising ceremony. We’ve already spoken to the mayor of Mississauga and have scheduled a flag-raising ceremony.”
Khaleghisohi also said students can draw more attention to the plight of Iranians by “speaking up and talking about Iran,” but also warned about widespread propaganda. “To avoid propaganda, I recommend listening to Iranians that you know are anti-IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]. They usually have even lived under the regime, so their lived experience can give you a better understanding of the situation.”
The PSA’s deputation comes as the war in Iran enters its third week. On February 28, the U.S. and Israel abruptly broke off all negotiations with Iran, launching a series of coordinated airstrikes against various targets in the country. On March 2, Israel also began to strike Iranian-aligned Hezbollah positions in Lebanon as part of the conflict.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has described the strikes as a “preemptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel.” At the same time, the U.S. launched its own attacks as part of “Operation Epic Fury,” provoking Iran to retaliate with mass drone strikes on neighbouring Middle Eastern countries with American and Israeli military presence. The initial U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after missiles struck his compound in Tehran.
The outbreak of war arose as Iran had been caught in a new wave of protests starting on December 28, 2025, due to the continued economic downturn in the country stemming from sanctions, according to NPR.
The protests immediately garnered support from Iranian opposition groups led by the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called on people to come out and voice disapproval of the Iranian regime, CBS News reported. In response, the Iranian government instituted an Internet blackout and led crackdowns that were estimated to have killed up to 30,000 people.
Many American and Israeli political leaders have claimed that the war will help the protesters, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on them to “seize the moment” on March 10 due to the airstrikes killing many leading figures within the Iranian government, according to The Times of Israel.
However, the ultimate goal of these strikes remains unclear, as U.S. President Donald Trump has failed to provide a consistent deadline for the war’s end or commit to any end goal for what would actually constitute victory. Additionally, Trump also scrapped a Pentagon plan to reduce civilian casualties in favour of greater “lethality” in operations, according to The Independent.
When asked whether she thinks the war can actually liberate the Iranian people, Khaleghisohi said that it potentially could.
“In 47 years, Iranians have tried every path available, such as elections, reform, [and even] protests with mass uprisings. The regime has always responded with violence. Some examples are arrest, torture, direct shooting or execution. So when you say ‘regime change should come from within Iran,’ well, that’s what we’ve been trying to do for over the past decade, you just weren’t paying attention earlier,” said Khaleghisohi.
“We know that the West is pursuing this war because of its own interests. However, this war is weakening the regime more than we ever could, and that gives us an opportunity to fight back, where the people might actually win because their opponent [has grown] weaker. So yes, depending on how it plays out down the line, it could lead to the liberation of Iranians from the regime.”
