Bipartisan Senate Briefing Unites Senators, Experts, and Former NATO Leaders in Revamping US Iran Policy

Bipartisan Senate briefing presented a path forward in dealing with Iran and Middle East conflict

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, USA, October 28, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- During a bipartisan Senate briefing on Thursday, October 26, 2023, several Senators and political figures presented a path forward in dealing with the Iranian regime and the current conflict in the Middle East.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), delivered the keynote remarks. Mrs. Rajavi emphasized, “The mullahs have turned the Middle East into a region engulfed in fire and blood.” She proposed a path forward: "Regime change in Iran is the only correct policy on the international stage, essential for peace and tranquility in the region and across the world. Such change is not only practical but will be realized by the Iranian people and their Resistance.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined her colleagues in calling for a change in Iran to achieve peace. She explained, “The regime in Iran is only interested in self-preservation, which is why it seeks to oppress its own people and sow discord abroad.” While recognizing the broader threat of the Iranian regime, Senator Shaheen, also a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, added, “Iranians fighting against the brutality and oppression of the regime in Tehran and the people of Ukraine are fighting for their very existence.” “No one better understands the reach of the Iranian regime or what is required to resist their malign influence” she added, “than our friends in Ashraf 3, who are carrying on that fight against authoritarianism”

In his remarks, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said, “there are two central truths when it comes to Iran: “First, that Iran’s regime is in fact a threat. It is nothing more than a brutal autocracy led by ayatollahs who are willing to kidnap, torture, and even murder innocent civilians to keep a stranglehold on their power...second, the fundamental truth is that the nation of Iran is yearning and rising for freedom.” As a path forward, Senator Menendez explained, “The U.S. has to stand with the Iranian community…The all-inclusive, secular democratic rule of law in Iran that Madam Rajavi speaks of is what we should all be aspiring for and trying to make happen.”

In a message to the event, Senator John Boozman (R-AR) said, “Like you, I remain steadfast in my support for the Iranian people and their pursuit of peace.” He added his commitment is “to putting maximum pressure on the regime, to stop its malign activities, and to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapons program.”

Ret. General James Jones, the first National Security Advisor to President Obama, addressed the briefing and recommended that the United States “reject any policy of appeasement” as the regime in Tehran “paints itself as both the creators and curators of peace, which is an untenable paradox. It has long sabotaged Middle Eastern stability with the export of terror and extremism beyond Iran’s border to maintain its fragile grip on power at home.”

General Jones acknowledged the sacrifice of the Iranian people and their quest for freedom. In offering a solution, he added, “The international community, and in particular Western democracies, must do much more than simply watch or issue statements of condemnation. This is mainly because, contrary to what the mullahs and their advocates promote, some of whom were exposed in recent days in Washington, the world must know that there exists an alternative: the National Council of Resistance of Iran. This path does not require military intervention but rather a global policy shift that stops placating the current regime. The only path to regional peace lies in supporting the Iranian people's aspirations for change and a democratic republic devoid of any form of religious or monarchy rule.”

Ambassador Sam Brownback, the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom at the State Department until January 2021, emphasized that the Iranian people “want peace, they want freedom, and they're dying for freedom. We must back those forces inside Iran.” He added, “My message is really for the US government. Our only path forward to peace in the Middle East is regime change in Tehran done by the people of Iran with the full backing of the West. That's the only route forward.”

General Wesley Clark explained how the Iranian regime has no legitimacy and the world must recognize there is an alternative to the ruling mullahs in Iran. Referring to the Iranian Resistance leadership he noted, "I’ve watched the courage, the commitment, the incredible durability, and sustainment of this organization. I've met the people who've been tortured by this regime. Surely, the world community must come together and recognize there is an alternative to the ayatollahs, and that alternative shouldn't be sought in a war of conflict. No! This is the organization that has persisted for decades, standing up for the rights of the Iranian people; its program calls for democratic governance, freedom of religion, respect for human rights, and political rights. It has intimate knowledge gained over decades of the conditions inside Iran. It understands the needs of the people in Iran, and it knows how to improve their conditions morally, politically, legally, and economically. It is a political and moral force. It is the highest priority target of the Iranian regime. Could it become a transitional government if the current government collapsed? Most definitely.”

Ms. Linda Chavez remarked, “As the world watches what happens in Iran, it’s important to remember that the Iranian people have shown tremendous courage in standing up to the regime. What they need from us, from the United States, from Europe, from Western democracies, is our moral support.”

Ms. Ana Sami, who moderated the Senate briefing on behalf of OIAC, emphasized the urgent need to change the current US policy towards Iran. She stated, “The US must recognize the right of the Iranian people to change the religious dictatorship ruling Iran and to establish a secular, democratic, non-nuclear republic based on the separation of religion and state.”

Majid Sadeghpour
OIAC
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Ambassador Sam Brownback, U.S. Senate, October 26, 2023