About 50 people gathered in Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday evening to speak out against the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran.
Across the bay, a group of local Iranian Americans celebrated the airstrikes at downtown Tampa's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
In St. Petersburg, Ali Abdel-Qader, an organizer with the Party of Socialism and Liberation Tampa Bay, said he believed the attacks are not in the interests of the American people.
"This was a premeditated attack by the U.S. and by Israel. It is to pursue Trump's twisted dream of trying to run the whole world," said Abdel-Qader. "We want money to be spent on housing, health care, education, infrastructure; not on missiles [and] bombs."
ALSO READ: Reactions vary from Florida politicians to Iran airstrikes
The airstrikes began early Saturday morning after negotiations to end Tehran's nuclear program ended without a deal. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, were killed in the early hours.
Retaliatory strikes from Iran's military were launched into Arab countries, aimed at U.S. military bases, expanding the violence into a regional conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he expects the air assault on Iran to continue several weeks and urged the Iranian people to overthrow the abusive theocratic government.
Four U.S. service members have been killed and at least four seriously wounded, according to Tampa-based Central Command (CENTCOM), which directs U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
CENTCOM Update
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
TAMPA, Fla. – As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries.
Major combat operations continue and our…
The U.S. is not expected to send ground troops into Iran. Though, according to reporting from NPR, some military analysts say it will be extremely difficult to topple the Iranian regime with air power alone.
Alex McBride, a resident of St. Petersburg, said she hoped things wouldn't escalate.
"What's really been weighing on my heart is the fact that I have cousins in the military, and as a progressive, I disagree with their choices, but the last thing that I want is for my cousins to be drawn into this war," said McBride.
Tampa resident Hannah Thomas also condemned the possibility of another war. Thomas said she is studying to become a social worker for U.S. veterans.
"If we go into war with Iran, we're sending millions of young boys and women over there to fight, and that's going to affect as far as families. That's going to affect as far as just deaths," said Thomas. "It's just not right to send these kids into a war that's pointless."
A strike on an Iranian school reportedly killed dozens on Saturday. Iranian state media said the missile was launched by the U.S. or Israel. The Israeli military said it was unaware of any strike launched by its forces or the U.S. on a school.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, told NPR it was aware of reports about civilians being harmed.
"We take these reports seriously and are looking into them," Hawkins said. "The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm. Unlike Iran, we have never — and will never — target civilians."
Rowan Finley, a Pinellas County resident, said he felt compelled to participate in the protest because he doesn't want to see innocent civilians killed.
"No one in the world deserves to live in a world of war," said Finley, "I think every child deserves to go to school and feel safe. I think that our taxpayer money should be going to our own education, should be going to feeding people, should be going to caring for the people here."
In Tampa, about 100 people lined up along Ashley Drive in Curtis Hixon park to support the attacks and death of Khamenei. As cars passed, some waved U.S. and pre-1979 Iranian flags, and others held signs thanking Trump for ordering the assault.
According to census data, more than 500,000 people of Iranian descent live in the U.S., with more than 15,000 in Florida. Similar celebratory rallies broke out in other major cities, including Los Angeles, which has the largest Iranian community in the world outside of Iran.
They see the desire for freedom, gender equality, and human rights as fundamentally incompatible with how Iran has been governed since Islamics took control 47 years ago in the Iranian Revolution.
Florida lawmakers' reactions to the attack largely broke down along party lines.
Republican U.S. Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott voiced support for the U.S. military and the president.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Iran "must be held accountable for their missile program that threatens the safety of Americans and regional partners."
Wasserman also called for the president to comply with the War Powers Act, and to "consult and fully brief Congress before any further action is taken."
Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, said that as an Iranian American, "this moment is layered with hope, fear,and uncertainty."
"I carry the stories of family, friends, and generations whose futures were stolen by this regime," Eskamani wrote on Instagram.
But she said she is also "deeply concerned about the consequences of prolonged U.S. military involvement."
Information from NPR was used in this report.
