Massive protests recently erupted in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by Iran’s moral police for wearing a head covering improperly. She was kidnapped from the street, beaten in custody, and died without a credible explanation from the Iranian government.
The Iranian regime stepped up its crackdown as protests surged. They opened fire on protesters indiscriminately, killing hundreds. This is the repeated face of an ugly regime that we cannot forget.
Given the government’s violent retaliation, the Biden administration’s eagerness to revive the weak Iran nuclear deal is inexcusable. The deal strengthens the Ayatollah’s geopolitical dominance and further perpetuates their consistent pattern of abuse within the region.
No excuses, but not surprising. As Isaac Schorr observed in the National Review, Biden surrounds himself with supporters of former President Obama’s progressive foreign policy. In a brutal crackdown on protesters, he throws Iranian people under buses. ”
The State Department recently announced that pursuing an Iran nuclear deal “is not currently our focus,” but the United States should send a strong message to Iran by ending nuclear talks once and for all.
To do otherwise will only make the ayatollah bold. They are encouraged in the enforcement of trade agreements with America’s foreign enemies. They fuel China’s ambitions to become a global superpower and fill gaps in Russia’s military infrastructure deployed in the war with Ukraine, including deadly drones and other high-tech military hardware. attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal would give the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei global legitimacy.
we cannot allow that.
The next time this regime tries to revive its dealings with the Iranian regime, it must remember the faces of the brave Iranian women who stood up to their oppressors. They risked their lives in pursuit of the freedoms and values that constitute the foundation of our republic. They fight for freedom of speech, freedom to decide their fate, and freedom to worship according to their conscience. We must ask ourselves whether it is right to justify a regime capable of inflicting cruelty and violence on people because they have pursued values that are familiar to us.
To be clear, we must respect Iran’s sovereignty. But we can respect Iran’s sovereignty while acknowledging the heroic courage of those who protest against an oppressive government. We can speak out against injustice when hostile governments abuse their power. It is in America’s best interest to recognize the brave Iranian women who stood up to their oppressors.
Iran has a lot of untapped potential. The Iranian people are young, educated and completely at odds with the government. Nevertheless, the Iranian parliament reports that 70% of her Iranians live below the poverty line. Rather than exploiting the true potential of the Iranian people, the ayatollah perceive their youthful vitality as a threat to their political survival. This perspective is incompatible with peace in the region. .
I hope the Biden administration realizes that the current Iran administration is not a trusted partner for the United States. To stand with the Iranian people is to oppose the justification of a brutal dictator. When this administration says the revival of the Iran nuclear deal is no longer a focus, it is expected to remain off focus indefinitely.
Mike Lee is a Utah Senator. Chris Stewart represents Utah’s 2nd congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Khosrow B. Semnani is an Iranian-American businessman, community leader, and philanthropist living in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the author of Where is My Oil? Corruption in the Iranian oil and gas industry. ”
