The People of Iran Want Change

The People of Iran Want Change

By Mohammad Sadat Khansari

Companies and governments around the world are now banned from using U.S. dollars in their dealings with Iran. Banks are no longer allowed to lend to Iran. The trade of various precious metals, food items and textiles with Iran is banned. These are just some of the effects of the U.S. sanctions on Iran that took effect at the beginning of last week.

As the sanctions came into effect, the people of Iran took to the streets across the country. There were mass demonstrations in major cities and they look set to continue.

In another three months, the second batch of U.S. sanctions will take effect. These ones will affect the petrochemical and petroleum industries.

This marks a great change to the days when former President Barack Obama was in office. His term became known as the “golden years” for Iran because of his polices of appeasement towards the regime. Obama turned a blind eye to Iran’s acts of belligerence across the Middle East. He also managed to get Iran to the negotiating table but he wasted the opportunity by giving too many concessions for nothing in return.

Obama believed, or tried to convince us, that being easy on Iran would make the regime comply with what was expected of it by international standards. However, this strategy was a complete failure because it made the Iranian regime even bolder than it already was.

When Trump was elected, this changed. It became very clear that the so-called golden years were over when the U.S. President announced in May that the United States is exiting the nuclear agreement and that crippling sanctions would be reimposed.

Obama wanted to repair the relations between the United States and Iran. Trump is not interested in bettering relations with the Iranian regime. He wants to transform Iran into a country that complies with international standards and puts an end to the nuclear threat that affects the whole world. He wants Iran to stop interfering in the affairs of other nations and he wants it to stop fuelling and funding conflicts.

The people of Iran do too. President Obama did no favours for the people when he completely ignored their 2009 uprising. It was such a major uprising that it is very possible it could have been the end of the clerical rule back then. It failed because the West pretended it didn’t happen.

Now it is happening again. The people of Iran dream of a free future. One with democracy, human rights, equality, just treatment, and so on.

Iran has one of the biggest land areas in the world and one of the biggest populations in the world. It has 15 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves and a tenth of the world’s oil reserves. It is also the seventh biggest producer of oil. Iran should be a country with a fairly comfortable economy. It isn’t and there are millions upon millions of people living way below the poverty line. The people have had enough of their wealth – their country’s wealth – being plundered by an incompetent and cruel regime.

Mohammad Sadat Khansari is a researcher analyst and consultant, specializing in Human Rights, political and social affairs. He has expertise in Iran, and the Middles East affairs.

Uprising in Isfahan, Shahin Shahr and Najaf Abad, Shiraz, Mashhad

Uprising in Isfahan, Shahin Shahr and Najaf Abad, Shiraz, Mashhad

Angry protesters in various cities across Iran demonstrat against the tyranny of the mullahs’ regime

Iran Uprising- No. 195

Since this morning, Thursday, August 2, angry protesters in various cities across the country, including Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Najaf Abad and Shahin Shahr, demonstrated against the tyranny of the mullahs’ regime, chanting slogans such as: Death to the Dictator. It was at a time when the repressive forces were on full alert from the first hours of the morning to prevent the formation of these protests, but they failed. The Internet connections have slowed down in many parts of the country.

Demonstration started at Shapur Jadid in Isfahan with the slogan: Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, we are all together. The people burned rubber tires to counteract the tear gas and prevent the attack of repressive forces. Anti-riot guards and criminal plainclothes mercenaries attacked the protesters; however, the people clashed with and punished them with sticks, rocks and even bare hand. A number of protesters were arrested.

In Shahin Shahr (Isfahan province), the people protested, chanting: Iranians, support us!.

A large number of people in Shiraz started their protests from the Zand intersection and chanted: Death to the Dictator; Cannon, tank, firecracker, the mullahs must be killed; Rouhani, shame on you, let go of the country. Courageous young people are struggling with repressive forces, and by burning tires, they have blocked IRGC forces and anti-riot guard mercenaries.

Thousands of people from Mashhad rallied from Shohada Square to Tohid Square and chanted the slogans: "Death to the Dictator; Down with high prices; Shame on you who live in palaces, let go of the country. The repressive forces started shooting into the air and firing blank guns. The riot guard attacked the people and arrested some of them, but the people continued to confront and continue their protests. They also chanted: High prices, misery, down with Rouhani. 

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

August 2, 2018

Iranian truck drivers continue strike for 10th consecutive day

Iranian truck drivers continue strike for 10th consecutive day

Iran, Hamadan, the tenth day of Truckers' strike

Reported by PMOI/MEK

Iran, August 1, 2018 - Wednesday marked the tenth day of the nationwide strike by truck drivers in Iran. The strike encompasses many major cities of Iran including Ahvaz, Khoramshar, Kermanshah, Ardebil, Khoram Abad and many other cities.

More than 140 cities from all of Iran 31 provinces have joined the strike. Truck drivers began their strike on July 22 in protest to low income rates and high tariffs set by the government as well as the increasing prices of equipment and spare parts for their vehicles.

On Tuesday, following the 9^th day of the nationwide strike by Iran’s truck drivers, access to gasoline in many of Iran’s cities became disrupted, including major cities such as Rasht. Many fuel terminals in Rasht were faced with supply problems. Terminals in other cities such as Langrud had to shut down due to lack of fuel.

On Tuesday, one of the truck drivers who is on strike declared, “Two months have passed since the last strike, and we are in the 9^th day of our strike and we won’t quit until our demands are met. We are tired of the hollow promises the government is making. We can’t bear the suffering of our women and children.”

Who is the alternative to Iran’s regime?

Who is the alternative to Iran’s regime?

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30th in Paris

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

June 22, 2018 - Following the ongoing Dec/Jan protests aimed at bringing freedom for Iran’s suffering people, there are two vital issues at hand:

1. Overthrowing the mullahs’ dictatorship
2. The alternative to this regime

The more we trek forward, the question of who is this regime’s alternative becomes all the more imperative. In such sensitive circumstances it is quite natural to see many parties claiming to be the alternative to Tehran’s mullahs.

It is also natural that all groups and individuals, associated or non-associated to a third party, those willing to sacrifice and opportunists seeking to jump at the opportunity, are surfacing and claiming to be patriotic in nature and opposing the ruling apparatus.

This resembles the end of winter and the arrival spring, bringing about the birth of plants. Alongside flowers, however, we also witness the growth of weeds. Next to flowers we see tall and powerful trees full of leaves and blossoms.

When the air speaks of a revolution and change, there are many parties seen rising from their sleep ready to hijack the ruling state, and willing to resort to any and all deceptive measure necessary.

They begin to claim of having a long struggle history against the ruling regime, forging records of years in jail and enduring torture. Worst of all, through demonizing propaganda, they begin to hinder the efforts of truly democratic entities seeking to bring about real change.

In such circumstances, the question is who is the true alternative to Iran’s regime?

The history of revolutions across the globe provide the following realities:

1) An alternative organ has members willing to sacrifice their all, and its enmity against the ruling regime is crystal clear for all parties.

This entity, involved in a continuous war against  the enemy, has seen many of its members lose their lives fighting for their people.

This entity also has seen many of its members imprisoned by different regimes ruling their country. These prisoners are resilient in the face of torture and harsh conditions, leading to their execution.

This entity has complete faith in its objective, being freedom for its people.

2) This alternative has roots in its nation and has risen for their cause.

3) This alternative has access and relies on popular sources for its intelligence. When the enemy launches massive clampdowns, this alternative’s roots amongst the people allows it to obtain intelligence from the ruling regime and expose their true nature to the outside world.

For example, the revelations made by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) regarding the Iranian regime’s clandestine nuclear program.

4) A true alternative should not be associated to any foreign power. It must be independent to the very meaning of the world and especially rely financially on its people and supporters.

5) This alternative must have a strong, democratic organization.

6) This alternative must have a specific leadership established around the cause of opposing the ruling regime and through the years proving its honesty and competence. The leadership must be fully involved in the struggle against the ruling dictatorship, paying the very price of all the sufferings.

7) This alternative must represent people from all walks of life in society and focus its efforts to establish a democratic state.

8) This alternative must be recognized on a global scale and establish this recognition through years of struggle.

Looking at Iran, the only entity fitting such criteria is the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a parliament-in-exile led by NCRI President Maryam Rajavi.

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30^th in Paris to express their support for democratic change in Iran.

Visit this website for more information about the Iranian opposition convention.