During the past few weeks and following Iran’s January 29th ballistic
missile test, tensions between Tehran and the West, and especially
Washington, have escalated significantly.
Iran’s objective in the missile launch, a breach of United Nations
Security Council resolutions and P5+1 agreements, was two-fold.
First, testing the West, and especially the United States, and
evaluating possible reactions from the new Trump administration in the face of
its saber-rattling.
Second, providing a morale-booster for Iranian regime’s officials,
and especially the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Quds Force-affiliated Shiite
militias who in recent weeks have witnessed a major policy shift by the new White House in response to Tehran’s provocative
measures.
The Kayhan daily, the known mouthpiece of Iranian Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei, shed light on the regime’s terrified status quo, describing the
new Washington approach as a “historic turn.”
“There are times when developments take such an unprecedented
pace, making any forecasting about the future quite difficult,” the
piece reads.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi explained in a
recent TV interview how Tehran’s foreign policy will face serious crises with
Donald Trump coming to the White House.
However, it appears there is another party involved in this
scenario that is extremely concerned over a Washington policy shift in regards
to Tehran, and the Iranian regime’s lobbies are witnessing their previous access blocked to the new White House.
These individuals advocate continuing a policy based on
appeasement vis-à-vis Iran, dubbed the Godfather of Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) and the
world’s “biggest state sponsor of terrorism.”
This front is attempting to use discredited sources, whose
background and objectives are completely known to be in line with that of the
mullahs’ dictatorship in Iran.
Their main goal is to depict an image of Iran lacking any
legitimate opposition, and to this end, leave no option but to continue
delivering concessions to Tehran, in order to maybe encourage the new U.S.
administration to continue Obama’s engagement policy with Tehran.
Following the election of Donald Trump as the new President of the
United States, and the introduction of his cabinet nominees, Iran apologists and lobbyists took to the
media to raise baseless allegations against Iran’s
democratic opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and National
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and place pressure on various
Trump administration officials advocating a firm policy against the mullahs.
This main Iranian opposition group has presented a 10-point-plan for
a democratic and free Iran, crafted by NCRI President Maryam
Rajavi, who enjoys strong bipartisan support in the U.S.
Congress and amongst thousands of influential dignitaries on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Rajavi has time and again emphasized the only real solution to
establish peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond pivots on ending
the Iran appeasement dogma and adopting a firm policy against Tehran’s mullahs by evicting
the Iranian regime from the region, especially considering Iran’s involvement in Syria.
The allegations published in various media outlets against the MEK
and the NCRI by those advocating rapprochement with Iran reveals their concern
over Washington’s decision in adopting a new strong policy against Tehran.
23 former senior U.S. government officials signed a hand-delivered letter to President Trump
emphasizing the real solution lies in bringing an end to the appeasement policy and
stopping crises emanating from Tehran’s support for terrorism.
The letter reads in part:
“We underscore that a foreign military intervention is not the
answer, and, therefore, believe the United States should recognize the
aspirations of Iranian people for a free and democratic future as the only
effective and viable policy.”
The bi-partisan letter urges the Trump administration “to
establish a dialogue with Iran’s exiled resistance, the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI)”.
Attempting to maintain the mullahs’ dictatorship in tact in Tehran
through discrediting the MEK and NCRI–known to first
blow the whistle on Iran’s nuclear program and recently welcomed new U.S. sanctions on Iran–is
considered trekking in line with Tehran’s dictators.
It appears the firm policy adopted by Washington, in response to
Iran’s ballistic missile test and the mullahs’ threats and other ambitions, was
a correct move and landed right on target.
Iran has recently called off another ballistic missile test scheduled for as
recently as Friday, February 3rd. This goes
in line with recent indications of senior Trump administration officials
weighing the possibility of blacklisting the IRGC as a foreign
terrorist organization.
As The New York Post rightly concluded,
“It’s a sign that for Iran, the days of wine and roses — and blind-eye
treatment — are over. And perhaps an even more welcome sign that tough talk,
combined with tough action, really does work.”
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Shahriar Kia is a political analyst and member of Iranian
opposition (PMOI/MEK). He graduated from North Texas University. He tweets
at @shahriarkia
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