ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

As tensions rise between the US and Iran following a series of military strikes and retaliatory missile attacks, many Jamaicans are watching the developments with growing unease, especially those with families living overseas.

"I'm on edge every day," said Janet*, a Kingston mother of two. Her 27-year-old son has been living in the US for the past three years, along with her brother and grandmother.

"Of course, as a mother, I'm a little bit worried," she told THE STAR. "But, they are all covered under the blood and no harm will come to them," she declared.

Janet, who had planned to visit her son next month, added that for the first time in years, she's been glued to the news.

"I haven't seen my son in three years, so I'm still watching to see what will happen. If things stay calm, I'm still going to take that trip, but I can't lie, I'm nervous and I will not be staying," she said.

While for Stacey* and Devon*, who both work in the Corporate Area, the conflict feels alarmingly close, even from thousands of miles away.

"Right now, the US is picking war with the wrong set of people," Stacey said. "Those people [in Iran] are not afraid of death. I have relatives in the US and honestly, I'm scared for them."

But Stacey's fears go beyond personal safety. For her, the potential fallout from a full-scale conflict could ripple through every corner of Jamaican life.

"If there should be a war, everybody is going to feel it, not just America. Trade will be affected, stocks will be affected, and economies like Jamaica's will feel the pressure. Prices are going to go up, shortages will happen, and there will be long-term effects," she explained. Devon echoed her concerns, particularly about remittances, a critical lifeline for many Jamaican families.

"If there's an attack or things get worse, that flow of money is going to slow down. Families here who depend on their breadwinners in the US are going to feel it, so will the whole country," he said, noting that Iran controls a major trade route.

"If they block that out of spite, the price of everything from oil to gas is going to sky-rocket," he said. "The only people who benefit from war are the ones making the weapons and digging the graves. Everybody else suffers."

The worry was written across Mary's* face. She has a sister and two nieces living in New York, and she's been urging them to come home.

"Every time mi talk to mi sister mi tell her, 'Please think bout coming home' because Jamaica safer right now," she said. She also told THE STAR that she had planned to travel to the US this summer with her children, excited to reunite with family and give them their first taste of the American experience. But she is now reconsidering.

"I already have my US visa, but mi honestly too scared to go. With all the immigration crackdowns and now this war talk, mi just a wait and see because my pickney dem safety comes first."

While there is no direct threat to Jamaica at this time, the emotional toll of uncertainty is growing. Many Jamaicans, especially those with strong ties to the US, say they feel caught between concern and the hope that their loved ones remain safe, and that diplomacy will ultimately prevail.

"I just pray this cool down soon," Mary said. "We don't need no war."

The Associated Press yesterday reported that US President Donald Trump claimed on social media Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire" to be phased in over 24 hours.

The US president said on Truth Social that the ceasefire would bring an "Official END" to war, a major change in the hostilities that follows a US strike over the weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites.

Earlier yesterday, Iran launched a missile attack on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of three key Iranian nuclear facilities. The US said no casualties were reported.

* Names changed to protect identity