Walid Phares: President Trump should support Iranians opposing their brutal government

Walid Phares, Ph.D., a foreign policy adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump

Fox News, Oct. 18, 2017 - Now that President Trump has decertified the Iranian nuclear deal and asked Congress to decide if the U.S. should snap back economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, he is faced with a critical decision on what future U.S. policy toward Iran should be.
Following an administration review of U.S. policy toward Iran now underway, the president should make a commitment to show greater support for the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom against the brutal and oppressive extremist regime that governs their nation.
The outlines of what future U.S. policy to Iran might look like point to positive and long overdue changes. The president’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly last month was one of several preliminary signs that the U.S. will be more assertive with the Iran, even to the point of promoting domestically driven regime change.
Trump’s U.N. speech pointedly described the Iranian regime as an enemy of its own people and a major contributor to regional instability. Responding to the speech, the head of the pro-democracy coalition known as the “National Council of Resistance of Iran” – Maryam Rajavi – characterized Trump as the first American president to ever “underscore the need for regime change in Iran by the Iranian people.”

Walid Phares: President Trump should support Iranians opposing their brutal government

Now that President Trump has decertified the Iranian nuclear deal and asked Congress to decide if the U.S. should snap back economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, he is faced with a critical decision on what future U.S. policy toward Iran should be.

Following an administration review of U.S. policy toward Iran now underway, the president should make a commitment to show greater support for the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom against the brutal and oppressive extremist regime that governs their nation.

The outlines of what future U.S. policy to Iran might look like point to positive and long overdue changes. The president’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly last month was one of several preliminary signs that the U.S. will be more assertive with the Iran, even to the point of promoting domestically driven regime change.

Trump’s U.N. speech pointedly described the Iranian regime as an enemy of its own people and a major contributor to regional instability. Responding to the speech, the head of the pro-democracy coalition known as the “National Council of Resistance of Iran” – Maryam Rajavi – characterized Trump as the first American president to ever “underscore the need for regime change in Iran by the Iranian people.”

Don't let Iran take international policy hostage

On Friday, US President Donald Trump decertified [VIDEO]the Iran nuclear deal, citing Iran's violation of the 'spirit' of the deal, thereby initiating the process by which Congress can vote to re-impose suspended sanctions within 60 days. #The President supplemented the decertification with outlining a broad new strategy toward the Iranian regime, targeting not only its nuclear ambitions but also its regional threats, “particularly its support for terrorism and militants.” He announced the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity.

ANALYSIS: Trump’s new policy: Solidarity with Iran’s people

By Heshmat AlaviSpecial to Al Arabiya EnglishMonday, 16 October 2017

US President Donald Trump decertified the Iran nuclear deal on Friday and referred the case to Congress. It remains to be seen what measures await Tehran, especially considering the highly intensive quarrel that brought us where we are today.

What is certain, however, is that this marks a major US policy shift vsi--vis Iran, having impact across the flashpoint Middle East.

Ever since the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower back in the 1950s and since the CIA-backed the 1953 coup d’état against the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh, Washington’s policies have either directly or indirectly supported the ruling regimes in Iran and against the Iranian people’s better interests.

Trump, however, has for the second time in less than a month stated his solidarity with the Iranian people. Iran has violated the very spirit of the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the entire accord is against US national security interests, according to Trump.

The Arab world reacted positively, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain promptly supporting the US landmark decision.

This is in line with April’s Riyadh conference where Trump called on the Islamic world to recognize the threat of Iran’s meddling in their countries and take the necessary action. Considering the importance of the Middle East for Iran, rest assured Tehran is receiving these messages loud and clear.

Trump Decertified The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement on the administration's strategy for dealing with Iran, in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House, October 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump stated that the Iran nuclear deal is not in the best interests for the security of the United States, but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 agreement.(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

After describing it as the “worst deal ever” and threatening to scrap the entire accord, U.S. President Donald Trump has decertified the Iran nuclear deal, describing it as against U.S. national security interests, and outlined significant measures targeting the regime in its entirety. Trump took a major step in ordering the Treasury Department to fully sanction Iran’s notorious Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), describing the entity as Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's "corrupt terror personal terror force and militia."

This is a major U.S. policy shift vis-a-vis Iran dating back to the early 1950s since Eisenhower turned against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh.

The U.S. Treasury Department followed suit by designating the IRGC "pursuant to the global terrorism Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 and consistent with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act." Such a move against the Guards will have major implications in Iran and the region.

Iran Feeling The Heat From Trump On Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 5: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House October 5, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Mattis said this week that the U.S. and allies are 'holding the line' against the Taliban in Afghanistan as forecasts of a significant offensive by the militants remain unfulfilled. (Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Image

“Once the deal is decertified, and Congress appears to be on the brink of reapplying sanctions, that could change not only Iran’s calculus but also the European allies’ calculus,” said James Phillips, a Middle Eastern affairs expert at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation tank in an interview with CNBC.

The Trump Administration is raising the tempo on decertifying Iran over the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), envisaging a temporary relief of various sanctions imposed on Iran in return for a curb of this regime’s nuclear program.

According to Politico, Trump’s national security team has urged him unanimously to decertify the JCPOA prior to the October 15th deadline, while National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is brewing an inclusive Iran strategy, due October 31st, on escalating pressure against the regime.