CHICAGO (WLS) — Ali Tarokh and his American wife read to their 2-year-old daughter in both English and Farsi.

Tarokh is an Iranian refugee who came to Chicago 12 years ago after being imprisoned in Iran for political persecution.

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The 39-year-old’s immediate family remains there.

Tarokh says he has lost hope for any diplomatic solution after the United States chose to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites.

“Bombing the nuclear sites, killing the scientists doesn’t solve the problem. They now have a strong incentive after what happened the past 12 days to rebuild their program,” Tarokh said.

And there are now questions on whether the U.S. strikes worked, as President Donald Trump insists the sites were obliterated.

“It’s blown up to kingdom come,” Trump said. “The site has been demolished. The whole thing is collapsed and a disaster.”

Sources tell ABC News a preliminary Pentagon report indicates a least two of Iran’s nuclear facilities hit by the U.S. bombs were likely not destroyed, and Iran’s nuclear program was set back by only a few months.

Regardless, some Middle East experts believe Iran is ready to give up its nuclear capabilities in exchange for rejoining the international trade community, lifted sanctions and unfrozen assets.

“Iran is not North Korea. Its goal is not to become a nuclear power. Its goal is to relieve the economic stress that the country has been under for decades,” said Ibrahim Abushariff, a Qatar professor at Northwestern University.

Tarokh is not so optimistic.

An American citizen since 2018, Chicago is now his home. But as someone who spent his first 27 years in Iran living under sanctions, he doubts anything will change after the past 12 days of war.

“They would love to lift the sanctions. However, they have proved they can survive under the heaviest sanctions in human history,” Tarokh said.