ORLANDO, Fla. — As tensions between Israel and Iran continue, many people outside those countries are dealing with feelings of uncertainty.

But for those with family or personal ties to the two countries, the conflict can be even more challenging. Thursday marked the seventh day of conflict and comes one day after Iran’s supreme leader rejected U.S. officials' calls for surrender.

Two Central Floridians from Israel and Iran share a similar message about how to deal with the uncertainty that lies ahead.

What You Need To Know

  • Tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate on the seventh day of conflict

  • Two Central Floridians with family members in Israel and Iran share their concerns amid the growing conflict

  • Former IDF soldier Daniel Smith says he’s especially worried about his two younger siblings who are currently enlisted

  • Iranian American Radin Ghadamian is concerned for his family in Tehran who have been forced to evacuate over the past few days

Daniel Smith and Radin Ghadamian have loved ones in their respective countries.

Smith, an Israeli American, completed his nearly three-year service in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) in December.

Shortly after completing his training in 2023, the war between Israel and Hamas broke out.

For a year-and-a-half, Smith was stationed on the ground in Gaza.

He says his daily duties varied — from working to rescue hostages to directing civilians toward safe zones.

Since his return, Smith has been living in Lake Mary with his fiancée.

But most of his direct family live in Israel, including his two younger siblings who are currently serving in the IDF.

“Knowing my brother’s involved in that and knowing that because of all of this, he’ll have to close more days in the army. He won’t be home as much. Worrying for my younger sister that she’ll go in soon and that this will drag out to the point where it’s involving her as well during her service,” Smith says.

He knows firsthand what it’s like to go days, or sometimes even months, without being able to see or speak with his loved ones on the phone.

In the midst of uncertainty, the 21-year-old says that it’s the little things that keep him sane throughout all this, like receiving selfies from his siblings in the family group chat.

UCF biomedical sciences graduate Radin Ghadamian was born in Iran and says he shares similar concerns for his family members who live in the capital city of Tehran.

He says a large percentage of his loved ones have been attempting to evacuate to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

“They’re trying to make the best of a bad situation,” Ghadamian says.

Despite the chaos that is unfolding overseas, he says he also tries to keep a degree of perspective.

“Unfortunately, as an Iranian American, this is not super new," Ghadamian says. "Iran is very much in the middle of different conflicts in different times, so I think at this point, you just hope on a personal level that your loved ones fare well, that none of them perish, and you hope for a better future for the country.”