Many in Washington believe that it is time to push back against the threat of Iran and its many proxy militias. What could be more appropriate than the United States going after Iran for its violations of human rights? The land of the free targeting the Islamic Republic for the lack of freedom it gives to its own people… 

It is also a sensitive subject for the Iranian regime because the 2009 uprising that came about after a controversial presidential election caused havoc in the country. It may have been long forgotten about outside the borders of Iran, but inside it is something that still troubles the Iranian regime to this day.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) recently held a press conference to highlight the ways in which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is gaining wealth which is in turn being used to fund the spread of terrorism throughout the Middle East and to support terrorist groups abroad. 

The opposition gave details about nearly 100 docks in Iran that are controlled solely by the IRGC. They highlighted that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, ordered for there to be no controls or checks on the docks that the IRGC is in control of. This way, goods can be smuggled in and out of the country.

In 2015, Harry J. Kazianis, the Director of Defense Studies at The Center for the National Interest wrote about how the United States military could strike Iran. This was originally written at a time when the nuclear deal was being prepared and many had voiced opposition to it – calling for it to be abandoned. 

Kazianis pointed out at the time that even if a solid nuclear deal is agreed, there are still many topics regarding the Middle East where the United States and Iran disagree. He emphasised that the US needs to be ready to confront Iran should the case arise.

The renewed use of gas by Bashar Assad opens a more disturbing question of who actually knew the Syrian leader still had chemical weapons. On numerous occasions, it was said that that the Syrians had rid themselves of those WMDs. There have been contentions made that Saddam transferred his chemical weapons to Syria and that would make Trump not Vladimir Putin’s personal “useful idiot.”

On Thursday, Ebrahim Raisi officially announced his candidacy in Iran’s presidential election. This came at a meeting of the “Popular Front of Revolutionary Forces”, as he gained the highest number of votes amongst the “principalists”.

Back in March 2016, Raisi was appointed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as head of the Astan Quds Razavi foundation, a major economic entity associated with Khamenei himself.