Darius Assemi is not only the president and CEO of Granville Homes and the publisher of GV Wire, but he also is among the most prominent Iranian Americans in Fresno.

Assemi sat down with GV Wire’s David Taub to share his views on the U.S-Israeli bombing of Iran and the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Assemi said his main concern in this war is the safety of the Iranian people. His hope is that they will break free of Iran’s repressive theocratic regime and embrace democracy — leading to prosperity for the millions who suffered during Khamenei’s rule.

In Tehran, Assemi’s father worked in water drilling and traveled to Fresno in the 1950s on business hoping to find reliable water pumps. Due to his family’s familiarity with the area, when Assemi came to America for college, he attended Fresno State, just before the Iranian revolution. He graduated from Fresno State in 1983.

Assemi said his father and a friend were detained by revolutionary forces after the takeover, accused of working for the deposed shah. His father was released; the friend was killed. Assemi recalled his concerns for his family during that period.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah, appeared on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, March 1, to discuss what his role could be in a new Iranian government. Assemi met Pahlavi several years ago when he visited Fresno. He shared his thoughts on Pahlavi’s potential role and what a future government could look like.