Stevenson, the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change, explained that the coronavirus outbreak in Iran is the deadliest in the world, having killed over 20,000 by the time you are reading this, but that providing extra money to the regime will not help the people. Instead, it will increase the regime’s domestic suppression, regional warmongering, and international terrorism.  

Stevenson said: “After 40 years of venal corruption and mismanagement, the Iranian economy has collapsed amid US sanctions and plummeting oil prices. The coronavirus outbreak has exacerbated the situation. The best cure for Iran’s beleaguered population is not a $5 billion handout from the IMF, most of which would simply disappear into the black hole of venality created by the mullahs. The best cure would be for the mullahs to be swept from power and for human rights, democracy, freedom, and justice to be restored. The main democratic resistance movement, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the opposition leader Maryam Rajavi remain ready as the serious alternative to the theocratic regime.” 

After all, despite having enough money personally to pay every non-essential worker to stay at home, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is refusing to institute a stay-at-home order along with the financial backing of people. The regime has even refused US aid and expelled Doctors Without Borders, proving that the money they are asking for is not a plea to help the Iranian people. Otherwise, they would have accepted the aid already offered.  

Stevenson said: “Given the behavior of the Iranian government and the [Revolutionary Guards Corps] to date, any financial aid should only ever be provided on strict conditions of discernible improvements in human rights and the immediate release of all political prisoners. There is growing international concern about the rapid spread of the virus throughout Iran’s burgeoning prison population. The prisons have become a death trap and many political prisoners, particularly the thousands of young protesters who were jailed following the nationwide protests last November, are at perilous risk.” 

The regime is essentially holding the people hostage to get sanctions lifted and no-strings-attached money. Despite all this, President Hassan Rouhani has the gall to say that the outbreak is under control, something that the health minister rebuked. 

Health Minister, Saeed Namaki said: “We should not have any illusions; we are still not in the phase to control the spread of the virus. We are in the phase of managing the disease. Whenever we reach a point to be able to contain the virus, we will make that public.”  

To be clear: 

  • The regime does not have coronavirus under control and the regime is lying about the numbers, with the World Health Organization says that the mullahs’ figures are probably 2% of the real figure. 
  • They have rejected aid to force sanctions relief; neither of which they should need if they have the situation under control  
  • Sanctions relief will not help the Iranian people, only the regime and the Revolutionary Guards Corps who control the economy, so the US shouldn’t lift them, and all other countries should abide by them 

 

Read More:

Stevenson: Iran’s Problems Are the Regime’s Fault

Stevenson: Mullahs’ Incompetence Resulted in Spread of Coronavirus