Khamenei’s tweet again proves the need for a firm Iran policy

Khamenei’s tweet again proves the need for a firm Iran policy

Mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – (File Photo)

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

March 2, 2019 - Twitter recently removed a tweet by the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Iran citing abusive behaviors. Khamenei was informed he would not be allowed to continue using Twitter until he removes that particular tweet and observed Twitter rules.

It is ludicrous for the self-proclaimed supreme leader to reiterate a fatwa issued by his predecessor, regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini, for the sake of convincing and rallying up his loyalists. This is considered a desperate and unusual measure to gain their trust and boost their morale.

This comes at a time when his regime is facing increasing international isolation and public recession inside Iran.

In January 1989, Khomeini Issued a Fatwa (religious edict) calling for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie. This launched a massive uproar and crises at the time.

While issuing such a license to kill in itself talks volumes about the tyrannical and reactionary nature of Khomeini, it was also an opportunistic and self-serving measure to cover up his failure in Iran-Iraq war by having to accept UN Security Council Resolution 598, which he described as the chalice of poison.

Of course, Rushdie's book had already been published for some time before Khomeini seized the opportunity to ride waves of protests, some turning out to be deadly in India and Pakistan.

With rising voices of protests, even from his own inner circle and high-ranking regime officials, Khomeini saw a golden opportunity to divert attention and to supposedly “unite” the Muslim world.

However, Khamenei’s attempt at a similar gesture, at a time when the JCPOA has literally come to failure, is somewhat far different. His Friday prayers imams openly admit that Khamenei’s words no longer carry any weight.

Recently he issued a statement urging different factions to refrain from bickering during the regime’s 40^th anniversary, only to fall on deaf ears.

Under the circumstances, creating tensions appears to be Khamenei’s prescription to get through the difficult status quo, kicking the can down the road.

Khomeini’s 1989 fatwa resulted in the Europeans pulling out their diplomats from Iran. However, the overall policy of appeasement by the Europeans turned a blind eye to this issue, being a violation of all international laws and principals.

Europe, and indeed all other countries wishing to put an end to the mullahs’ state-sponsored support for terrorism, should have realized by experience that the only way to stop that wave of terror is to adopt a firm policy vis-à-vis Tehran.

The mullahs’ regime ruling Iran is a threat to the region and the world. All sources of its finance and channel of communications to misinform and pervert public opinion should be blocked.

Allowing the mullahs of Tehran and their lobby to take advantage of mainstream media and social media networks will only lead to more such episodes, including Tehran’s mullahs encouraging further exporting of terrorism and human rights violations.