Trump’s Middle East Visit, New Alliances, and a Terrified Iran

President Donald Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2017.

State-run IRIB TV, May 22:

“The US president is hand in hand with the supporters of terrorism, human rights victimized in the dances of swords… US raises allegations against Iran to ‘milk’ Saudi Arabia, according to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.”

MAY 26, 2017 12:03 PM

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Following Zarif’s undiplomatic and unprofessional remarks, Amir Abdullahian — an adviser to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and known to be close with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — provided a different perspective.

“First of all, they intend to strike a blow to the axis of resistance (read Iran’s coalition) in the region,” he said in remarks aired by IRIB TV. “This is a very important entity in the region as it has provided Iran’s utmost national security and interests.”

“This is the initiative pursue by the Saudis following the election of Mr. Trump,” Abdullahian continued. “In response to the existing Saudi Arabia, with a group of warmongering extremists at the helm, we must react with wisdom, power and force. We don’t consider Saudi Arabia as a strategic enemy. No. The Saudis lack such a capacity.”

While this senior Iranian official resorted to such claims in an effort mainly aimed at maintaining a straight face in the wake of continuous setbacks suffered by the regime, the semi-official Fars news agency, known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) mouthpiece, shed light on the regime’s true concerns over Trump’s visit to Riyadh

“The editor-in-chief of the Kayhan daily described recent remarks made by [Iranian President Hassan] Rouhani against various entities inside the Iranian government as fuel to provoke the US and the sheikhs of various Arab countries,” the piece reads. “Mr. Rouhani’s government, in its first day back in office has returned the shadows of war over our nation.”

“Despite Rouhani boasting of distancing the shadows of war from our country, the Riyadh conference, focusing on establishing an Arab NATO and sales of $110 billion in military equipment underscore how the weak actions of [Rouhani’s] cabinet not only emboldened the US to take aggressive actions against our country, even small Arab countries have reached the point of openly speaking of establishing an Arab NATO to launch a military confrontation against Iran,” the Fars piece continued.

As all elements of the Iranian regime are evaluating how to analyze and respond to the consequences of Trump’s visit to the region, the voice of the Iranian opposition welcomed the recent developments.

Maryam Rajavi — president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition of Iranian dissident groups leading the struggle to bring about regime change in Iran — hailed the positions adopted at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in the face of Iran’s actions.

For nearly four decades Tehran’s measures have robbed the region, and the world over, of quiet and stability. It is time to take firm action against Iran’s terrorism and fundamentalism endeavors, its dangerous ballistic missile program and its meddling in the affairs of others. Steps similar to those embraced in the Riyadh conference are what are needed to bring a final end to terrorism, war and bloodshed, and establish peace and harmony. The recent tragic bombing in Manchester leading to the loss of too many more innocent lives was yet another reminder of the utter importance of this.

While condemning Iran’s actions and crimes is a constant necessity, practical measures, and more specifically, ending all diplomatic relations with the mullahs, expelling this regime’s delegations from international organizations, blacklisting the IRGC and other military/paramilitary/security entities associated with the government, are necessary follow-ups.

notorious

Iran’s human rights violations and the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), have gone ignored for far too long. This horrific dossier deserves immediate referral to the United Nations Security Council and The Hague to bring all affiliated Iranian regime officials to justice.

President Trump correctly described the Iranian people as the first victims of the mullahs’ regime. King Salman of Saudi Arabia, while delivering his respects to the Iranian nation, emphasized that ever since late regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini’s rise to power the mullahs have become the spearhead force behind global terrorism.

The ultimate solution for the current crisis engulfing the entire Middle East is regime change in Iran, carried out by the Iranian people and their organized resistance, symbolized by the NCRI.

Freedom and returning sovereignty to the Iranian people by ending the mullahs’ rule is the desire of all Iranians. Recognizing this nation’s true demand is essential to establishing peace and tranquility in the region, and indispensable to international security.