All of the U.S. economic sanctions on Iran are now in place. When President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be exiting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal, he made it very clear that it was because the Iranian regime had failed to become more moderate and was as dangerous as ever.
And he is absolutely correct because, still to this day, Iran is meddling in other nations and it is still supporting terrorist proxy groups and militias. It is still denying its people human rights and it is still threatening other nations with ballistic missile activity.
Trump explained that the purpose of the economic sanctions was to cut the regime off from the funds that it uses to spread chaos across the region and the financing of terrorist groups and activities. However, many have said that the U.S. sanctions are only going to hit the people of Iran.
History has shown us that sanctions can be very effective (for example, the sanctions on South Africa that precipitated the Apartheid). Regarding the concerns that the sanctions are going to push the people of Iran towards the side of the Iranian regime, it is possible to say with almost complete certainty that this will not happen.
The people of Iran have been protesting since the end of last year. They have been calling the regime out for its mismanagement of the country’s resources and for the widespread corruption that has taken money from the people’s pockets. They have made it very clear that they want regime change and they know very well that the regime is incapable of being moderate.
Indeed, when the previous sanctions were lifted when the nuclear deal was agreed, the people of Iran did not benefit from any of the huge sums of money that were freed up.
Instead, the regime sent it abroad to fund its terrorist activities and to line its own pockets.
During many of the protests and anti-government demonstrations, the people have outrightly said that they know America is not the enemy. They know their enemy is ruling their country.
Poverty is rising in Iran and more and more people are falling under the absolute poverty line. Unemployment is on the increase and purchasing power is declining. The country’s national currency, the rial, has lost so much value in recent months. Social services are declining. It would be very difficult for the lives of the Iranian people to get any worse.
The Iranian regime has tried very hard to persuade the people that the United States is their enemy, but the people cannot be so easily fooled. Like in South Africa all those years ago, the Iranian people know that international pressure on the regime is essential and they are vowing to do their part by maintaining domestic pressure.
Trump has recognised the plight of the Iranian people. It is now time for the rest of the world to acknowledge that they are the regime’s first victims.
Source » ncr-iran