From ‘Rocket Man’ to ruins: Between the skies of Tehran and Tel Aviv

by Nik Kowsar

“It’s a little bit funny… the feeling inside.”

I found myself humming Elton John’s “Your Song” as I watched the first videos of Israeli jets bombing the homes of the Islamic Republic’s top generals.

Honestly, like many Iranians in exile, I felt a flicker of joy. We have a saying: when a wicked person dies, a flower blooms. So naturally, we dream of a world blooming into one vast garden — one flower for every petty tyrant sent to hell.

Then came the rockets ...