In his article for NewsMaxWorld on October 7, Shahriar Kia writes that, “The regime in Tehran is known for its instigation of terrorism and strife across Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. It has gained notorious fame for its violent meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, its support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in slaughtering more than 500,000 Syrians, and its track record ofhuman rights violations against its own citizens, especially women and youth,” adding, “This makes Iran an imminent threat to regional and global stability and peace, as well as a de facto enemy in the fight against terrorism.” He says that fostering illusions that it can be an ally in fighting ISIS will do nothing to deter or lessen this clear and present danger.
According to Kia, the appeasement policies adopted by the current administration “has not only failed to rein in Iran’s export of terrorism and human rights violation, but has prodded it to further undermine global security through manufacturing ballistic missiles, prototyping war drones, and continuing to fill the coffers of its extremist proxies in the region with the ransom money it receives from the West.” He alleges that while President Hassan Rouhani was in New York speaking at the UN General Assembly, details were exposed about a deal between the U.S. and the Iranian regime, granting Tehran $1.7 billion in exchange for the release of four American citizens.
As well, according to Kia, sanctions were from the main financial institutions that fund Iran’s nuclear missile program. While the regime has insisted it needs sanctions relief for its bankrupt economy, but it’s been proven that it has been funneled into support of the Assad regime.
The state of human rights in Iran has become an issue of concern among members of the U.S. Congress, and members of the U.S. House of Representatives recentlyintroduced a resolution that condemned the Iranian regime’s mass killing of political prisoners in 1988, calling for justice for the victims.
Afatwa by Khomeini, the founder and then–Supreme Leader of the regime, began the 1988 Massacre. In just four months, more than 30,000 political prisoners were executed. Members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), the Iranian regime’s main opposition group, were the main target. This group, in later years, unveiled Tehran’s secret nuclear program, and has garnered support for their efforts toward a democratic Iran across the globe, including both sides of the aisle in the U.S. congress. Today, the PMOI is part of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.
The late Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, Khomeini’s own chief deputy, deplored the carnage waged during the 1988 massacre, leading him to criticize the act as “the greatest crime committed during the Islamic Republic, for which history will condemn us.”
The executions were orchestrated by the so-called “death committee”, and many of those same persons now occupy key posts across the country. An example is Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who now serves as Justice Minister in the government of the self-proclaimed “moderate” Rouhani. Which proves that the idea that “moderates” within the ranks of the Iranian regime is wishful thinking, that will inevitably result in further undermining of human rights in Iran, and instability across the Middle East region.
“Whoever wins the next U.S. presidential elections will have a chance to right the wrongs and steer the foreign policy in a direction that will restore regional and global peace and stability. The right place to start is to put an end to over two decades of appeasement toward the Iranian regime and holding its officials accountable for the uncountable crimes committed in Iran and across the world. It is about time that the U.S. stands with the Iranian people and their resistance movement,” concludes Kia.
