Author: Abbas Safari
For decades, Western foreign policy regarding Iran’s regime has been trapped in a vicious cycle of “appeasement, short-term expediency, and diplomatic deception.” This approach has not only failed to bring regional stability but has also fuelled the regime’s machinery of repression and terrorism by injecting financial resources and providing political breathing space. Today, however, we stand at a point where past miscalculations have been thoroughly exposed, and the realities on the ground leave no other choice than a fundamental shift in the international outlook.
1. The Failure of the Appeasement Policy and the Necessity of Western Coordination. Recent events and clashes have more than ever proven that as long as the West—especially the United States, which, unlike some of Europe’s more pragmatic approaches, still grapples with conflicting interests and delays in decision-making—seeks attrition-based solutions and the preservation of the status quo, regional crises and nuclear threats will persist. It is an undeniable reality that the key to resolving the crisis lies not in secret agreements, but in supporting the authentic will of the people and organised resistance to change this structure; a path that will ultimately secure the security interests of all parties.
2. Shattering the Regime’s Propaganda and the Role of Resistance Units. One of the greatest achievements of recent years has been the dismantling of the ruling authority’s false and costly narratives. For years, the regime tried, through heavy propaganda and immense expenditures, to induce the belief that the resistance movement and authentic opposition had come to an end. However, the emergence and persistence of Resistance Units inside the country shattered this wall of deception. When an absolute dictatorship is forced to abandon its long silence, formally confess to the existence of field infrastructure, and resort to executing its members, it means its astronomical investments to destroy this movement have gone down the drain. This field momentum demonstrated that the correct solution exists and is deeply rooted.
3. Society’s Transition from the Past and Tyranny, and the Authenticity of the Red Line “Neither Shah, nor Mullah” Having navigated through transient shocks and excitement, Iranian society is now experiencing a period of internal reconstruction and the reinforcement of public trust. One of the most important characteristics of this political maturity is society’s decisive transition away from any return to the past (the era of past dictatorship) and the rejection of the illusion of the regime’s reformability. The people of Iran have drawn a transparent and undeniable red line with the formula “Neither the Shah nor the Mullah”—a fundamental principle showing that the country’s salvation lies neither in the revival of royal tyranny nor in the mirage of governmental reforms, but solely in the establishment of a democratic republic based on the people’s will.
4. Draining the Regime’s Lifelines and Recognising the Right to Struggle. To accelerate the process of change and break the internal atmosphere of suppression, two vital principles must advance simultaneously:
- Draining Financial and Terrorist Lifelines: As long as the regime’s oil dollars and breathing ports for circumventing sanctions and funding the machinery of suppression remain open, the dictatorship breathes. Complete international isolation of this criminal government is an urgent humanitarian and security necessity.
- Recognising the Right to Struggle: The fundamental and final step that the international community must take is the explicit and unconditional recognition of “the right of the Iranian people and their organised resistance to fight against fascism and determine their own destiny.” This righteous demand is the turning point that thousands of parliamentarians worldwide have supported over the years and will sooner or later compel governments to acknowledge.
The path to Iran’s freedom has traversed the rocky terrain of past and present illusions, and today its horizon is brighter than ever; a path that, with the ironclad will of the people, society’s maturity, adherence to democratic principles, and the persistence of resistance, will reach its destination and bring true stability and security.