Are Iranian people aligned with US national interests?
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Hamid Bahrami
Following a week of political roller coaster, doubts and strategic calculations, the US foreign policy team unveiled its new policy on Iran and measures to address the catastrophic nuclear deal, better known as the JCPOA.
During a 20-minute speech on 13 October, President Trump laid out the major points of this new policy, which include the decertification of the JCPOA and designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pursuant to the global terrorism Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.
Aside from decertifying the nuclear deal, the announcement of President Trump marks a major policy change that effectively ends the two-decades long failed policy of appeasement against Iranian regime and its malignant role in four corners of the world.
In 1997, in order to satisfy Tehran’s ruling theocracy, the then President Clinton designated Iran’s main opposition group, the PMOI/MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This decision helped regime to spread its hegemony and terrorism around the Middle East and the world under the pretext of “Dialogue between Civilizations”.The regime has consistently prolonged its grip on power by capitalizing on international conflicts, especially disagreements between Western democracies and its alliesHamid Bahrami
Now, the US policy has shifted to cut the regime’s tentacles and protect the US, its allies and their interests in the region. Immediately after President Trump’s speech, the EU expressed its concern over the US abandoning the JCPOA.
On the other hand, Israel and Saudi Arabia welcomed the new policy toward Tehran. The Iranian society and community abroad for their parts looked for the reactions on the announcement, first from the regime itself and second from the main Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
A few hours after President Trump’s speech, the Iranian citizens witnessed the so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s twitchy eyes while he read his statement which was full of deceptive lies and obvious contradictions.
End of the appeasement era
Although, expressing support for the NCRI is punishable by death in Iran as the regime cracks down on popular dissent, a majority of Iranian social media users shared the statement by NCRI’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi as she welcomed “the end of the appeasement era.”
Indeed, the Iranian people always welcome any increased pressure on the Iranian regime and specifically its brutal paramilitary force, the IRGC, which plays a key role in suppression of civil society. Furthermore, the IRGC is the main force behind the crippling economic corruption, which have sparked thousands of popular anti-regime protests around the country during the last few months.
Also read: The new bloc against Tehran
The designation of IRGC as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) will not only affect the regime’s vital arteries but also break the ubiquitous repression and atmosphere of fear in Iran.
To uproot the cancer that is the IRGC, the US should concentrate its efforts inside Iran. Nearly all of Iran’s financial systems are in IRGC’s hands, which it utilizes to fund and arm terrorist groups, with the full knowledge of the Rouhani government that earlier this year decided to increase its budget.
Hence, all companies and countries that trade with any section of the regime are practically risking to fund and engage with the IRGC.
Anti-regime protests
Today, there is a significant growth of anti-regime protests across Iran, most of them related to economic and civic demands. Considering that the Iranian people are just weighing opportunities to overthrow the entire regime, it will be helpful if the US highlights human rights issues and recognizes the Iranian Resistance movement, the NCRI.
Following these actions, the IRGC will get stuck in a domestic crisis and consequently expelling it from the region will be less expensive. The theocracy in Tehran will try to bypass sanctions and strengthen its capabilities by exploiting the lack of a coherent Iran strategy between the US and the EU.
Also read: Key US Republican says Trump must work with Europe on Iran
Indeed, the regime has consistently prolonged its grip on power by capitalizing on international conflicts, especially disagreements between Western democracies and its allies.
In this regard, one must ask the EU countries and European leaders why they are so eager to appease a corrupt regime in Tehran that has no future and that only survives by persecuting its own people and spreading terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism.
What is obvious, both the US and the Iranian people’s national interests are aligned and the EU should know that dictators will not last forever.
__
Hamid Bahrami is a former political prisoner from Iran. Living in Glasgow, Scotland, he is a human rights and political activist, and works as a freelance journalist. Bahrami has contributed to Al Arabiya English, American Thinker, Euractive, Newsblaze and Eureporter as his work cover’s Iran’s Middle East actions and domestic social crackdown. He tweets at @HaBahrami and blog at analyzecom.wordpress.com.
Last Update: Wednesday, 18 October 2017 KSA 12:57 - GMT 09:57
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Al Arabiya English's point-of-view.
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Hamid Bahrami
Following a week of political roller coaster, doubts and strategic calculations, the US foreign policy team unveiled its new policy on Iran and measures to address the catastrophic nuclear deal, better known as the JCPOA.
During a 20-minute speech on 13 October, President Trump laid out the major points of this new policy, which include the decertification of the JCPOA and designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pursuant to the global terrorism Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.
Aside from decertifying the nuclear deal, the announcement of President Trump marks a major policy change that effectively ends the two-decades long failed policy of appeasement against Iranian regime and its malignant role in four corners of the world.
In 1997, in order to satisfy Tehran’s ruling theocracy, the then President Clinton designated Iran’s main opposition group, the PMOI/MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This decision helped regime to spread its hegemony and terrorism around the Middle East and the world under the pretext of “Dialogue between Civilizations”.The regime has consistently prolonged its grip on power by capitalizing on international conflicts, especially disagreements between Western democracies and its alliesHamid Bahrami
Now, the US policy has shifted to cut the regime’s tentacles and protect the US, its allies and their interests in the region. Immediately after President Trump’s speech, the EU expressed its concern over the US abandoning the JCPOA.
On the other hand, Israel and Saudi Arabia welcomed the new policy toward Tehran. The Iranian society and community abroad for their parts looked for the reactions on the announcement, first from the regime itself and second from the main Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
A few hours after President Trump’s speech, the Iranian citizens witnessed the so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s twitchy eyes while he read his statement which was full of deceptive lies and obvious contradictions.
End of the appeasement era
Although, expressing support for the NCRI is punishable by death in Iran as the regime cracks down on popular dissent, a majority of Iranian social media users shared the statement by NCRI’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi as she welcomed “the end of the appeasement era.”
Indeed, the Iranian people always welcome any increased pressure on the Iranian regime and specifically its brutal paramilitary force, the IRGC, which plays a key role in suppression of civil society. Furthermore, the IRGC is the main force behind the crippling economic corruption, which have sparked thousands of popular anti-regime protests around the country during the last few months.
Also read: The new bloc against Tehran
The designation of IRGC as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) will not only affect the regime’s vital arteries but also break the ubiquitous repression and atmosphere of fear in Iran.
To uproot the cancer that is the IRGC, the US should concentrate its efforts inside Iran. Nearly all of Iran’s financial systems are in IRGC’s hands, which it utilizes to fund and arm terrorist groups, with the full knowledge of the Rouhani government that earlier this year decided to increase its budget.
Hence, all companies and countries that trade with any section of the regime are practically risking to fund and engage with the IRGC.
Anti-regime protests
Today, there is a significant growth of anti-regime protests across Iran, most of them related to economic and civic demands. Considering that the Iranian people are just weighing opportunities to overthrow the entire regime, it will be helpful if the US highlights human rights issues and recognizes the Iranian Resistance movement, the NCRI.
Following these actions, the IRGC will get stuck in a domestic crisis and consequently expelling it from the region will be less expensive. The theocracy in Tehran will try to bypass sanctions and strengthen its capabilities by exploiting the lack of a coherent Iran strategy between the US and the EU.
Also read: Key US Republican says Trump must work with Europe on Iran
Indeed, the regime has consistently prolonged its grip on power by capitalizing on international conflicts, especially disagreements between Western democracies and its allies.
In this regard, one must ask the EU countries and European leaders why they are so eager to appease a corrupt regime in Tehran that has no future and that only survives by persecuting its own people and spreading terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism.
What is obvious, both the US and the Iranian people’s national interests are aligned and the EU should know that dictators will not last forever.
__
Hamid Bahrami is a former political prisoner from Iran. Living in Glasgow, Scotland, he is a human rights and political activist, and works as a freelance journalist. Bahrami has contributed to Al Arabiya English, American Thinker, Euractive, Newsblaze and Eureporter as his work cover’s Iran’s Middle East actions and domestic social crackdown. He tweets at @HaBahrami and blog at analyzecom.wordpress.com.
Last Update: Wednesday, 18 October 2017 KSA 12:57 - GMT 09:57
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Al Arabiya English's point-of-view.
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