Folly of trying to empower Iran’s moderates

WASHINGTON D.C. (12/2)- After a five-month hiatus, a delegation from the Iranian regime returned to Vienna to resume talks over its nuclear program representatives from the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia, and the European Union. The United States is also taking part in the talks indirectly. This is the first set of nuclear negotiations being led by the government of Ebrahim Raisi. Even before the talks started, Iranian officials have been setting very strict conditions, including the lifting of all sanctions imposed on the regime after the 2015 nuclear deal, including non-nuclear sanctions related to the regime’s human rights abuses and terrorist activities.In first day of talks, the regime’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, reiterated the demand for the lifting of sanctions and also demanded guarantees that the U.S. and its allies do not impose any sanctions on the regime in the future. Bagheri Kani also threatened that Tehran will escalate its nuclear program if its demands are not met.“If [Tehran] doesn’t want to get back into the deal, if it continues to do what it appears to be doing now, which is to drag its feet at the nuclear diplomatic table and accelerate its pace when it comes to its nuclear program, if that’s the path it chooses, we’ll have to respond accordingly,” U.S. chief negotiator Robert Malley said before the talks.During a briefing by The White House and the Biden Administration, Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki was asked, “The Israeli PM נפתלי בנט - Naftali Bennett spoke with Blinken today and suggested Iran nuclear talks should be halted and stressed that Iran is conducting, quote, “nuclear blackmail.” What's the U.S. response? Is there any consideration of halting the talks at this point?Psaki responded, “Every country, including, of course, our friends in Israel, is entitled to their own point of view. Our view is that a diplomatic path forward, continuing to pursue a diplomatic -- an opportunity for diplomatic discussions to have greater access to return to mutual full compliance with the JCPOA is the right -- continues to be the right path forward…”Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) , expressed concern about the progress of Iran’s nuclear program last week after visiting Tehran in a last-ditch effort to address outstanding issues before the Vienna talks.Grossi described the trip as “inconclusive” and told reporters, “In terms of the substance… we were not able to make progress.”The IAEA has been trying for months to restore its monitoring capacity in a nuclear site in Karaj. It is also seeking explanations on traces of enriched uranium found in undeclared sites in Iran. Tehran has refused to grant IAEA inspectors access to the Karaj TESA site and demands the UN nuclear watchdog to drop its concerns about the discovered uranium traces.This comes after a briefing on November 29 (11/29), the U.S. Department of State was asked, “I want to come back to the Iran enrichment story. Two questions: One, does the U.S. believe that Iran has any equipment in which it could use highly enriched uranium as a weapon? Alternatively, is the thinking in the U.S. Government that Iran might be enriching the uranium in order to sell it to some other party in order to bring in cash?And then the larger question in light of this week’s talks in Vienna: If the U.S. and its allies believe that Iran has in fact enriched uranium beyond the terms allowed in the JCPOA, does the JCPOA need to be updated before the U.S. can actually become a party to it again? Thanks.In response, the State Department responded, “To your second question, I’ll just say that right now we’re focused – hyperfocused – on the negotiations. And to your first question, I’d say that we’re just not going to comment on some of the information that’s being shared here, and the enrichment to 90 percent obviously would be a provocative act. And I’ll just underscore that we’ve made clear that Iran’s continued nuclear escalations are unconstructive and they’re also inconsistent with what’s stated in the goal of returning to a mutual compliance with the JCPOA. Of course, they won’t provide Iran any negotiating leverage as we are in the talks…”But according to the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran - MEK IRAN (PMOI), “After months of tensions, Iran’s regime has proven that it has no intention to negotiate in good faith on its nuclear program. Tehran has been speeding it uranium enrichment program, has breached all limits imposed by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), and is closing in on acquiring enough fissile material for an atomic bomb.Dignitaries and politicians from different countries are warning about the threats posed by the Iranian regime and the consequences of giving the regime concessions on its nuclear program.At first glance, Tehran seems to be exuding power by setting maximalist conditions and refusing to back down on its demands. But like all bullies, behind the façade of power is a regime that is barely maintaining its balance on shaky foundations.The regime is faced with an increasingly outraged population who are protesting every day for their most basic needs, including food, water, electricity, employment, unpaid salaries, rising inflation, and healthcare?Just last week, peaceful sit-in by farmers in Isfahan turned into political protests when security forces cracked down on the demonstrations. The protesters, who have received nothing but hollow and unmet promises by government officials, resisted the regime’s repressive forces and chanted anti-regime slogans such as “Down with the dictator” and “Down with Khamenei,” calling for the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime.The Center for Human Rights in Iran reports, “The Iranian security and military forces’ violent crackdown on large protests in the city of Isfahan that broke out over severe state mismanagement of water resources is more evidence of the Ebrahim Raisi government’s policy of zero tolerance of public criticism and dissent.See: iranhumanrights.org/“People from various sectors of society are protesting the state’s incompetence in resolving fundamental crises that are affecting their ability to live,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).“Instead of revealing effective plans to alleviate the people’s suffering, the Iranian government is focused on eliminating spaces for people to air their grievances,” said Ghaemi.“No one should be jailed or assaulted for exercising their right to protest,” he added. “The Iranian authorities are legally responsible for the health and safety of all those harmed and detained during this time.”As of November 29, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 214 people, including 13 individuals under the age of 18, had been arrested in Isfahan….”Tuesday saw protests by different communities in different cities across Iran. The workers of Chenareh, a mineral company in Andimeshk, continued their strikes for the third consecutive day and held a protest rally in front of the company offices.At the same time, the workers of Ahan Ajin, Zohal, No-avaran, and Mobin, who are working in the copper complex of Songoon held a protest rally in front of the company’s offices at noon.The protesters are protesting the dismissal of dozens of their co-workers. The workers are also protesting discrimination in the workplace, ambiguous contracts, and the regime’s refusal to implement laws that would adjust their salaries.In Ramshir, a large group of farmers in the Ramshir, Khuzestan province, held a rally in protest to the government’s refusal to open dams and give them access to water for their seasonal farming.The rallies come on the heels of intense protests in Isfahan, which lasted for weeks and were violently suppressed by the regime.The customers of the government-linked carmaker Azarbaijan Sanat Khodro (Azvico) held their 49th protest rally on Tuesday.Azvico has allegedly stole millions of dollars from 5,000 customers who had pre-purchased the company’s MG360 vehicle.The company has presold around 6,400 vehicles but has refrained from delivering the cars one year after the set deadline. The company has also told the customers that it will not deliver their cars, blaming the deficiency on the lack of vehicle parts and financial resources. The company has also said that the customers that they cannot revoke their purchases.In Tehran, the customers of the Caspian credit firm, a financial institution with strong ties to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), gathered in front of the Central Bank to protest against the plundering of their wealth and investments.Caspian is one of several financial institutions that have been involved in a major embezzlement case involving the theft of billions of dollars’ worth of investor money. Regime-linked bodies and individuals mostly own these institutions. In the past years, the customers of these institutions have been constantly protesting to recover their funds, but the regime has yet to take concrete steps to meet their demands.Today, Teachers across Iran held demonstrations on Thursday, protesting the regime’s disregard for demands that they’ve been making for months.Working and retired teachers are demanding the implementation of the “classification plan,” the adjustment of retired teachers’ salaries, and the addressing of other basic problems they are facing.The rallies were planned and organized in advance. The Iranian Teachers Coordination Council, which had organized the rallies, had declared that the announced budget for teachers in the classification legislation is not enough and the government and parliament are just trying to put something on paper.Demonstrations took place in at least 66 cities in most provinces, including Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Yazd, Fars, Qazvin, Mazandaran, Khorasan, Kerman, and Sistan and Baluchestan.The teachers of Tehran and Alborz provinces gathered in front of the Majlis (parliament). In other cities, the rallies took place in front of the offices of the education ministry.In addition to their economic demands, the teachers chanted slogans against the regime’s repressive response to their demands. “Detained teachers must be released,” the protesters chanted, protesting the regime’s repression of their ongoing demonstrations. “This nation has never seen such injustice,” the protesters chanted.According to PMOI/ MEK leaders, “The regime could address the country’s economic problems if it would dismantle its nuclear program, which has proven to have zero benefits for the Iranian people. Such a move would prove that Tehran is committed to international peace and security and would pave the way for international trade with Iran, which would lead to economic growth. Moreover, if the regime stops its terrorist meddling in the countries of the region, it could save billions of dollars every year, all of which could be spent on rebuilding Iran’s economy.So, the question is, why is the regime digging in its heels on its nuclear program and other nefarious activities, even as it sees that its own actions are driving the country into economic bankruptcy?The reality is that this regime has preserved its rule through terrorism, violence, and chaos. It sees a nuclear deterrent as a means for its survival. Terrorism is the only way it manages to hold its status in the region. And domestic repression is the only way it has managed to keep the outraged population of Iran in check. The regime’s own officials are warning that backing down on the nuclear issue will lead to a series of retreats in all other areas that the regime is posing a threat to the world and its own people.At this point, the regime is in a deadlock. On the one hand, showing any sign of weakness in the nuclear talks will lead to it losing its hold on power at home, which will unleash the wrath of the Iranian people, who have been calling for regime change for years. On the other, if it continues its provocative measures, it will set itself on an inevitable collision course with the international community, bring more economic duress, and again face off with the outraged people of Iran who no longer have anything to lose. Four decades of crime, deceit, and corruption are fast catching up with the regime.Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran - شورای ملی مقاومت ایران (NCRI) / National Council of Resistance of Iran-US Rep. Office observed during a speech in Paris, “ six nationwide uprisings in recent years in Iran have shown the fragility of the dictatorship.Khamenei has shown how afraid he is of the people by killing at least 1,500 people in the November 2019 uprising. By acquiring the nuclear bomb and interfering in countries of the Middle East, he wants to guarantee his power.He wants to hold world peace and security hostage to gain concessions. The only factor that can stop him is the Iranian people’s organized resistance and uprising.Most Iranians reject the mullahs—corruption and loss of motivation plague all forces of repression, including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).The Iranian Resistance has formed a network of activists in most provinces with many young people. Last week, on the anniversary of the November 2019 uprising, Resistance Units launched a massive campaign of activities against the regime’s symbols.The situation is explosive. A few days ago, farmers and residents of Isfahan, the country’s third-largest city, and Shahrekord held massive protests against water shortages.The Iranian people want the overthrow of the regime and a free and democratic society.The Iranian Resistance’s platform is to establish a republic based on the separation of religion and state, free elections, abolishment of the death penalty, gender equality, independence of the judiciary, autonomy for ethnic minorities, and a non-nuclear Iran….”According to the National Review, in a message to the Biden Administration and White House officials, “Shamefully, the Biden administration, which claims to put human rights, not to mention climate issues, at the core of its foreign policy, has remained silent as this atrocity has unfolded. Perhaps they are assuming most Americans are too stuffed with turkey or concerned about rising fuel prices and inflation here at home to worry much about a far-away protest. But there are still enough Americans who can remember when the people of Iran were our friends, and what an enormous regional strategic advantage that was in the Middle East. They also remember the catastrophic 1979 Islamic Revolution and subsequent hostage crisis that ended that alliance. As the crisis in Isfahan grinds into another week, all those who care about building a better, more prosperous future for the people of Iran, one in which asking for a drink of water is not punishable by death, should demand better from our own leadership.Some key points:• The Iranian people are not apathetic and they do not support their odious regime for the sake of stability. This narrative, which not coincidentally is virtually identical to that pedaled by the People’s Republic of China about its own people, is the work of the regime. Over and over again through the course of the Islamic Republic’s history the people of Iran have risen up to demand freedom and basic rights. The 2009 Green Revolution was primarily an urban demonstration for real democracy. The Bloody Aban protests were sparked by a sharp increase in fuel prices. The most recent iteration is over water. So while the brutal crackdowns are chilling, they have by no means silenced the people—and the regime knows it. These brave protesters deserve our robust support.• Strategic silence did not work in 2009 and it’s not going to work now. In 2009 then Senator John Kerry disingenuously claimed that vocal U.S. support for the Green Revolution would only offend the protestors and empower the “hardliners.” The Iranian regime—correctly—interpreted the Obama administration’s deliberate decision not to back the Green Revolution as a tacit admission that the United States wanted diplomatic engagement at all costs, and would accordingly stove-pipe any human rights abuses. The result was dead protesters, an entrenched regime, and ultimately the disastrous 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iranian nuclear deal. We repeat this history at our peril.• The United States still does not have the capacity to stream satellite-based free Internet access to the people of Iran so they can communicate with each other—and the outside world—when the regime uses its Internet kill switch. This is a disgrace. We have the technology and capability to do this. The fact that the U.S. government has not equipped itself with the ability to export free speech is deeply unfortunate and if the Biden administration refuses to advance this policy that would have wide-ranging, strategic global applications, Congress should act.This weekend, according to members of the Organization of Iranian American Communities - OIAC , Women Against Fundamentalism - Maryam Rajavi, and Iranian American Community of Northern California ( Iac NorCal), protests are set to take place this weekend, across the country and around the globe. According to organizers, “#IranProtests,Join us! Be their voice! In #Isfafan, people objecting water shortage, faced heavy use of "pellet guns" by gov.forces;10s of people losing an eye…”From Vienna, Austria several Iranian dissidents stated, "My message to President Biden, it is that the regime of Iran does not represent the people of Iran," said Ali, an Iranian activist who, like the others, warns of the consequences of the U.S. dropping sanctions against Iran if it re-enters the Iranian nuclear agreement.See: www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-dissidents-warn-us-nuclear-deal"If the U.S. goes back to the nuclear deal, that's the same thing would happen as happened back in 2015. Iran, the regime of Iran, is going to gain almost $160 billion and 1.7 billion Euros, and yet it is not going to stop its nuclear actions, and actually they even develop their ballistics and drone military drone programs.""You asked what will happen if the United States returns to JCPOA? I say frankly that this will be a tragedy," says Sima, another activist who says the administration should not even entertain Tehran's demands about the deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA."The message of the U.S.’s return to JCPOA to us, Iranians, is that the U.S. is collaborating with the Mullahs in suppressing and killing the Iranian people and the Mullahs’ crimes against us, that serves the dictatorship and religious fascism. How can ransom be paid to a regime that brutally kills its own people?""After the JCPOA deal in 2015, the regime took the cash and spent it on terrorism. Our women in Iran resort to prostitution for a piece of bread," she says. "Lifting sanctions or giving cash to the regime will only prolong its life, the life of the dictatorship."Nader Moavenian stated, “Let’s not forget this thought provoking quote from Albert Einstein:The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything….”-Jose Ricardo G. Bondoc### ... See MoreSee Less

Folly of trying to empower Iran’s moderates

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