WASHINGTON D.C April 10, 2026 – U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) posted an emotional letter she says she received from a woman in Tehran, describing the relief felt after a ceasefire ended what the congresswoman called “Trump’s illegal war” on Iran.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) late Friday, Ansari wrote that the letter “brought me to tears.” She highlighted the suffering of ordinary Iranians during 40 days of conflict, which included an internet blackout, street explosions, and damage to civilian infrastructure.
“I received this letter from a woman in Tehran and it brought me to tears,” Ansari stated. “It’s unimaginable what the Iranian people have had to endure, from a brutal regime that massacred tens of thousands in January, to relentless bombing and destruction during Trump’s illegal war.”
The Arizona Democrat accused former President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of committing war crimes by targeting schools, hospitals, bridges, and water desalination plants. She expressed hope that the ceasefire holds and prayed for “peace and a better future for the Iranian people.”
The letter, signed by “Pooneh from Tehran,” thanks Ansari for her “courageous speech in Congress” and her calls to end the fighting. Pooneh describes the terror of 40 days without internet, explosions that shattered windows and destroyed utilities in her seven-unit building, and the fear caused by U.S. threats to strike power plants and infrastructure.
“Tonight is the first night after the ceasefire that I am going to sleep in my own bed without the sounds of air defense systems, drones, missiles, and bombs—with a sense of safety and peace,” the letter reads in part. Pooneh adds that Ansari has been “the voice of many suffering people in Iran.”
Photos attached to Ansari’s post show both the English and original Persian versions of the handwritten-style letter.
The congresswoman’s post quickly drew sharp backlash from many in the Iranian diaspora. Critics questioned how a private citizen in Tehran could have sent the letter during a reported internet shutdown and accused Ansari of echoing regime talking points while downplaying the Iranian government’s own actions. Some replies labeled the letter as possible propaganda from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Ansari represents Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District and has been vocal in recent weeks about opposing U.S. military involvement in Iran.
The ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran was announced earlier this week, following intense airstrikes and counterstrikes that began after months of escalating tensions.
Life News Agency will continue to monitor developments related to the Iran ceasefire and reactions from U.S. lawmakers.
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