As a fragile ceasefire is maintained between Israel and Iran, the world holds its breath. Iran-watchers believe that there is an almost unprecedented window of opportunity following the series of critical setbacks that have impacted on the mullahs’ regime in the past year, with the virtual collapse of their so-called ‘Axis of Resistance,’ including Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Even their long-time allies China and Russia seem unwilling to intervene.
The precision bombing of the regime's nuclear sites and the elimination of dozens of its leading Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and military commanders fostered the illusion that the Islamic Republic would collapse. The reality, however, is that genuine change cannot be imposed from the top down; it must emerge from the bottom up, driven by the Iranian people and their organized opposition. Due to venal corruption, endemic maladministration, the burden of sanctions, the unrestrained funding of proxy militias across the Middle East, and the financing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile systems that are now smouldering ruins, the Iranian economy is bankrupt. Ninety million Iranians are struggling to feed their families. The potential for a nationwide uprising is evident.
However, the ongoing overtures from Western leaders that suggest a ceasefire may open the way for renewed dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations with the criminal regime have caused concern. If history is any guide, engaging with this regime has not led to a moderation of its behavior. For 46 years, the Islamic Republic has used such negotiations as a trick to buy time to continue its destructive path. They have always lied and cheated, as we have seen all too clearly with the recent rapid acceleration of their nuclear program, culminating in the current conflict. The traditional carrot and stick strategy simply does not work with the theocratic regime.
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The mullahs are at their weakest point both internally and externally. Given that regime change rests solely with the Iranian people and their organized resistance, the West could expedite this process by recognizing the Iranian people's right to determine their own future, free from any form of dictatorship, be it monarchical or religious. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its charismatic leader – President-elect Maryam Rajavi, have articulated a Ten-point Plan for a future democratic secular republic in Iran, embracing freedom, justice, human rights, women’s rights, an end to the death penalty and an end to the nuclear threat. It offers the greatest chance for peace and prosperity in Iran and in the Middle East. The NCRI is the only properly organized, fully prepared and expertly led democratic opposition to the mullahs. Their burgeoning resistance units inside Iran are ready and capable of overthrowing the mullahs’ tyrannical regime. But to do so, they require the moral support and encouragement of Western powers. The West must manifest its support by isolating the regime internationally, tightening sanctions further and ending all forms of appeasement and pointless attempts at renewed diplomatic dialogue. The resurrection of negotiations with this gangster regime will simply allow them to continue to develop nuclear weapons, continue to finance and rebuild their Axis of Resistance and continue to sponsor international terrorism abroad and oppressive tyranny and misogyny in Iran.
Predictably, as the theocratic regime teeters on the brink of extinction, Reza Pahlavi, the playboy son of the deposed Shah, has re-emerged from his luxury mansion in the suburbs of Washington D.C. The self-styled ‘Crown Prince’ routinely claims the right to restore the Iranian monarchy and take his seat on the Peacock Throne, hurriedly abandoned by his hated father in 1979. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was a cruel dictator, detested by most Iranians. His regime was notorious for its severe human rights abuses, corruption, and economic exploitation of Iran’s resources. But, seemingly untroubled by the legacy of his father’s ruthless secret police - SAVAK, Pahlavi has admitted to being in contact with the IRGC, ostensibly to maintain order after the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime. It is almost like Winston Churchill vowing to keep the Gestapo to maintain order after the collapse of the Nazis!
With no backing internationally, no support inside Iran and no credible program for the future, Pahlavi has become a joke figure, striding around the globe like the naked emperor of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale. While 90 million Iranians suffer extreme poverty and deprivation, the ‘Clown Prince’ has enjoyed a life of Western luxury, with properties and possessions amassed on the back of the billions of dollars looted from the Iranian people by his father, who was a maestro of the art of embezzlement and the illicit amassing of wealth. Reza Pahlavi’s affluence has never been properly explained.
The stakes could not be higher. The Iranian regime’s relentless policies of aggression and state-sponsored terror pose a direct threat to global security. Further dialogue and negotiation will simply allow this threat to be reinforced and to continue. Confronting this reality calls for a unified, resolute approach, one that transcends half-measures and diplomatic hesitancy. The message here is clear. Enduring stability in the Middle East cannot be achieved without addressing the fundamental issues posed by the Iranian regime. Only through a strategic, collective response can the international community lay the groundwork for a safer, more secure world.
We stand at a pivotal juncture in world history where authoritarianism is on the rise. The choices made today will cast long shadows over the geopolitical landscape for generations to come. By acknowledging the potential for transformation within Iran and actively supporting those who envision a democratic future, the international community can chart a resolute course against oppression and violent expansionism everywhere. This path demands both courage and tenacity. Yet the rewards – a world unburdened by the warmongering and emerging nuclear threats of a fundamentalist theocracy – are unquestionably worth the collective effort. Now, more than ever, is the moment to embody courage, and to embrace and support the Iranian people’s quest for freedom. Our shared future depends on it.
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