Experience has shown that negotiating with the Iranian regime is like a baking stone. Of course, the Gulf States and the US government are searching for a diplomatic solution, but Iran watchers believe this is time-wasting while hoping to be able to tame the regime’s destructive behaviors. This was the main subject of the Manama Dialogue which was held from November 19 to November 21. At this conference politicians, diplomats, and experts from different countries discussed the most important and urgent security challenges of the Middle East.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at this meeting pointing to the Iranian regime said: “The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. Our friends and foes both know that the United States can deploy overwhelming force at the time and place of our choosing.”

Robert Malley, the US envoy for Iran, pointed to the regime’s time-wasting on its nuclear case and the negotiations warned the regime and said: “Iran’s advances are spreading alarm across the region. That’s what’s making the clock tick faster and making all of us say that the time is short for a return to the JCPOA.”

Brett McGurk, the US National Security Council’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, said that the US understands the suffering of the Iranian people. While it leaves room for diplomacy in dealing with Tehran, it is ready to take any other options.

After 43 years of destructive policies, the Iranian regime is no longer able to step back from any of them, and any retreat will create a chain reaction of retreats. Therefore, its main policies over these four decades have been based on the principles and ideology of the supreme leader.

This is something that all the nations are aware of. As Brett McGurk said: “And again make no mistake the United States will increase our efforts to strengthen the self-capacities of our partners in the Middle East to defend themselves and protect themselves, particularly against the threats of Iranian drones and missiles.”

The Iranian regime since its foundation has implemented its destructive policies against its neighbor countries in the Middle East and this current is continuing, with the help of its proxy forces and its missile and nuclear projects. On this subject, McGurk warned the regime and said that on the issue of Iran-backed proxy forces in the region, the US was “prepared to respond decisively.”

About the protests of the people of Isfahan, McGurk said: “We support the Iranian people’s aspirations for accountable governance, as we are seeing this past weekend in Isfahan.”

The Manama Dialogue while pointing to the regime’s destructive actions, was not even close to a real solution, because the real solution for Iran is supporting the Iranian people and the regime’s main opposition the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), dissidents argue. Therefore, such a meeting will not make any changes in the regime’s behavior, and these four decades of repeating the policy of appeasement and negotiation will continue, without any probable outcome, only making the situation worse for the people in the Middle East, especially Iran.

This is something that even Mr. McGurk is pointing out: “But we have no illusions that Iran might suddenly change its orientation or that the regime in Tehran might collapse under the weight of unilateral sanctions with moderates rising to the fore to take the reins.”

He said implicitly there will be no more rise of moderates, and gambling on it is just a waste of time. Therefore, as dissidents argue, the only solution and outcome of the Manama Dialogue should be to support Iran’s people and their Resistance movement.