The Iranian Regime is involved in “warmongering and belligerence” in order to fuel crises in the Middle East, according to Iran’s organized democratic forces, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Iran News Update reports.
The Iranian Regime’s regional aggression has also been criticised by the Iranian people during their ongoing nationwide anti-regime protests, and the MEK are advising that the international community back the protesters’ calls for regime change in order to avoid Iran starting another war in the Middle East.
“The regime’s warmongering and belligerence is a major source of concern and tension in the region that can lead to a major war. But it can be averted. Years of policy of appeasement by Western governments emboldened the Iranian regime. The overthrow of the Iranian regime and establishment of peace and democracy in Iran would have a lasting impact in the establishment of peace and tranquillity in the region,” MEK representative Shahin Gobadi said.
The area is on the edge of all-out war, as tension rise between Iran and its neighbors over Iran’s support for terrorism and proxy militias. Indeed, Iran has tens of thousands of fighters in Syria, where they have spent $100 billion propping up the Assad Regime since 2011, is in direct conflict with Saudi Arabia over Iran-backed terrorist groups in Lebanon and Yemen, and is at odds with Israel after the downing of an Israeli fighter jet.
“Export of terrorism and Islamic extremism, including warmongering and meddling in the region, has been a strategic pillar of survival of the regime and a cover for its domestic repression. Syria has been the lynchpin of this policy,” Gobadi said.
The popular people’s protest has featured slogans such as “no to Syria” and “think about us” as the Iranian people call on the mullahs to end their foreign wars and return the money to the public purse.
The protests, which began over a draft budget that slashed subsidies for the poor in favor of additional military spending, have spread to 142 cities and morphed into a protest against everything wrong with the Regime. The protesters, recognizing that the Iranian Regime isn’t listening to their cries, have gone so far as to call for the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, an offense punishable by death in Iran.
So far, at least 50 protesters have been killed in the streets, 8,000 arrested, and 12 have died under torture. The Iranian Regime, desperate to portray itself as stable and popular, has organized pro-regime demonstrations to retaliate against the people’s protest and in honor of the 39th anniversary of the Iranian Regime, in which paid actors will burn the U.S. flag.
This is nothing new. Iran has been doing this for years in order to make it seem as if the Iranian people are in favor of the Regime and deter the international community from acting. Still, revolution is in the air.
Gobadi made this call for the West to support to the protesters ahead of a meeting in Paris on Friday, in which representatives from 11 European countries will back the protesters.
“The wall of fear has been cracked, and nothing including arrests, killings, and torture can prevent the advancement of the protests to overthrow the regime. The regime’s own officials repeatedly talk about super challenges facing their regime and precarious prospects that loom on the horizon. After 39 years of rule, the clerical regime has never closer than being overthrown by the people than today,” Gobadi said.