To contain the resistance from within, the Iranian regime has used force, imprisonment and torture. The increased level of executions within President Rhonani’s term is evidence that force and intimidation are their enforcement policies. 

The global community has had limited interaction with Iran, and it hoped that economic sanctions would encourage social and political changes. They believed that if Iran was losing out economically, the regime would consider change for the greater good of the people. However, Iran ignored the economic implications of its actions, and continued to oppress the people and ignore their basic human rights. 

Eight years ago, the Obama administration determined that a different approach was necessary. Economic sanctions were beginning to have an effect, and this brought Iran to the bargaining table. The Obama administration thought that concessions and a policy of appeasement would bring about a change, and create an ally out of a former enemy. It also expected that the new relationship would allow access to Iran’s influence in resolving other crises within the region. 

The Iranian regime has been known for its policy of exporting fundamentalism to other nations within the Middle East region. Nothing changed, and Obama’s only achievement was that he curbed Iran’s nuclear ambitions in a limited way via the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

The deal had little in the way of safeguards, so the success of the plan was in the hands of the regime’s leaders, who promised to allow access for inspections and limited nuclear development. The deal did not address human rights violations. Political prisoners, and oppression of freedom of religion and speech were ignored an attempt to keep Iran at the negotiation table and limiting their nuclear development. 

Appeasement policies toward Iran have had far reaching implications for the nations in the region, especially Syria, resulting in increasing violence and war. Thousands have lost their lives, as people desiring freedom continue to fight oppression. The funds that they received as part of the agreement has fueled increased Iran’s meddling in the affairs of the region at large. 

Additionally, despite the concessions, Iran has not become a friend, as the United States wished. They’ve made no changes in how they deal with their people and have been difficult regarding inspections and other aspects of the nuclear deal. The incoming president, Donald Trump, will have a Middle East that is in a state of upheaval to deal with, instead the stable region that President Obama had planned. 

The United States needs to take a strict stand with Iran. The U.S. needs to lead the global community against Iran’s human rights violations. The United Nations released multiple resolutions regarding the situation of the Iranian people, including executions, arrests and torture. For these innocent people, the United States must support a policy that has real life consequences for the regime, unless they make significant changes in these areas. 

Iran also needs to give justice to the victims of the massacres, and those members of their government that sanctioned these killings must be punished. By ignoring these massacres, the United States and the global community allows Iran to continue acting without fear of reprisal. 

The Iranian people are the ones paying the price for appeasement. The people are being punished for disagreeing with the government, they are the ones being imprisoned, tortured, and separated from loved ones. They suffer the effects of human rights violations that continue, today. The global community, particularly the United States, must consider a radical change in their approach to Iran. 

The NCRI (National Council of Resistance of Iran) has continued to highlight human rights issues and the condition of political prisoners in Iran. Global leaders have joined their voices with President-Elect Maryam Rajavi, as she continues to raise awareness about the conditions in Iran under the mullahs’ regime. The Iranian massacres and the war in Syria were the main topics of a recent conference held in Paris at the end of November, 2016. 

For eight years, Ms. Rajavi has pointed out how the regime used the policy of appeasement at the cost of the Iranian people. Rajavi has shown how the regime cannot be accepted while they continue to oppress their people and commit “crimes against humanity”. 

US policy toward Iran should avoid appeasement, and focus on standing firm and making Iran follow through with their side of the deal, and if they don’t, the regime must accept the consequences of non-compliance with  the terms of the agreement. Otherwise, there will be no change, only a continuation of the chaos in the Middle East and the oppression of the Iranian people.