Iranian-American Community Welcomes Letter Urging Trump Administration to Work With Iranian Opposition

In recent days, twenty-three former officials of the US government sent a letter calling on President-elect Donald Trump to deal with the Iranian opposition group – the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). They advised the Trump administration that the NCRI is a valuable resource and should be consulted for issues regarding foreign policy and Iran.

The OIACUS (Organization of Iranian American Communities-US) – the largest and most active Iranian-American organisation in the US – has voiced its approval regarding the letter. It was signed by 23 bi-partisan former government officials with the purpose of restoring “American influence and credibility in the world, the United States needs a revised policy based on universally shared norms and principles reflecting the ideals of peace and justice”.

The letter continued: “A policy highlighting, and demanding an end to, Iran’s domestic human rights violations and malevolent regional actions will attract broad support and generate needed leverage against Iran’s threatening behavior.”

The letter advised the Trump administration to reach out to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), pointing out that it was this group that was able to expose the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons program. The role of the NCRI’s network in Iran was also of great importance to US intelligence during the Iraq invasion. 

The NCRI has been working towards a free and democratic Iran and the eviction of the religious dictatorship that rules the country. 

The letter continued: “Given the opportunity to engage directly with the NCRI, unfiltered by regime propaganda, US officials will learn that in the 1980s, as a political strategy to challenge Iran’s harsh fundamentalism that denies all rights to women, the resistance adopted a policy of gender equality – rare in the Muslim world – and elevated women to leadership roles. In the ensuing years, the group developed several elements of a policy platform. In 2006, the leader and President-Elect of the group, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, unveiled a 10-point plan (…) describing the group’s aspirations for Iran, which has remained the NCRI’s policy agenda ever since. All 10 points reflect principles equally shared by Americans.”

The OIACUS said that the US government has tried hard to moderate the behaviour of the regime through numerous concessions, but this has not worked. It believes that a military intervention is not the solution either. Therefore, the most peaceful and realistic solution to achieving democracy in a country that is so desperate for it is via the NCRI. 

Not only is peace in Iran important to its people, is it essential with regards to national security in the region and beyond.