'Nobody Wants War': Death Of Quassem Soleimani Causes Retaliation Concerns

WATERTOWN (CBS) -- Watertown restaurant manager Mohsen Tehrani fears war is next following the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran's top general Qassem Soleimani. He's been in the United States for 40 years, managing Molana Restaurant for the past 20, but with family in the Middle East, he's worried about retaliation.

"Everybody wants peace, nobody wants war," Tehrani told WBZ-TV. "I don't know how it helps by killing him. It's not going to be any safer in the Middle East because there's going to be tension."

Tensions have long been simmering between the two countries. Newly imposed sanctions by the Trump administration have brought increasing hardship to many like Tehrani's family.

"There are no jobs, no employment, no production, factories are going out of business. They're already having a tough time with the economic situation," he said.

Retaliation for the strike could take many forms, according to Professor Richard Shultz at Tufts University's Fletcher School. "The most immediate would be an attack on American troops in Iraq. They could also use an infrastructure they have internationally to carry out terrorist attacks," said Shultz.

The concern about retaliation is enough that both Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police have indicated they are on heightened alert and increasing patrols around areas considered to be sensitive.

"There's no credible threat to Boston," said Mayor Marty Walsh. "But we're going to be covering churches, synagogues, and temples next week, this weekend and moving forward because we don't know what to expect here."

Neither does Tehrani, who made a personal plea to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei: "For the sake of the Iranian people if he could bring a peaceful resolution to the situation. He has all the power to do it."