U.S. News and World Report published an article last week on their website about the importance of U.S policy toward Iran. U.S. News offered a non-partisan list of recommendations for the next president to follow in crafting an effective policy in dealing with the Iranian regime. The article emphasized that such a plan is essential for tackling the long-ranging security challenges posed by the regime.

The five-point plan proposed in U.S. News is summarized below:

Prioritize the Iranian people, not the Iranian government.

The article describes Iran’s domestic population and its expatriate community as “the worst victims of the regime’s political violence. U.S. policy that favors the Iranian regime perpetuates this violence and only serves to enable its continuance. A firm policy toward Iran coupled with the support of the pro-democracy Resistance Movement (The National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI), and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) ) is the best way to support Iran.

Investigate Human Rights Abuses

The article called for the United States to make Iran’s human rights record a focal point of its foreign policy in 2021. Millions of Iranians took to the streets in November 2019 to protest for a regime change, but security forces killed at least 1,500 of these pro-democracy protesters in the streets and arrested 12,000 more. Many are awaiting execution in Iranian prisons now.

The people of Iran have tried to take back their country before with similar results. Nationwide uprisings in 2009, 2017/2018, and January 2020 were violently suppressed. In the summer of 1988, more than 30,000 MEK political prisoners were executed in a single summer on the basis of a fatwa from regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini. No one has ever been held accountable for these crimes against humanity.

Iran has been held captive by a theocratic dictatorship for over forty years, and no one has been held accountable for the crimes that have been committed to keeping the mullahs in power. These criminals must be named and shamed and face justice for their actions.

The MEK has long proposed that the U.N. send a fact-finding mission to Iran to investigate the Iranian regime’s crimes against humanity, particularly in regards to the 1988 Massacre.

Continue to Enforce Sanctions

The article proposes that the next administration continues to enforce U.S. sanctions against the regime and its entities in order to ensure “compliance with international laws and maintain U.S. national security interests.” The continuance of sanctions requires a great deal of sustained attention by U.S. officials to ensure compliance.

Make Informed Decisions regarding Media and Disinformation

The Iranian regime is skilled at using propaganda and disinformation for its own interests, and it has been caught interfering with American politics on social media on more than one occasion. The next administration would be wise to be wary of pro-regime lobbyists and media that spread disinformation about Iran and its opposition, NCRI and (PMOI / MEK Iran). Most of these groups use the same talking points when describing the MEK and Iranian Resistance, so they are easy to identify.

Support the Iranian Resistance Movement

The article emphasizes that the next U.S. President should establish “formal and sustained engagement with Iran’s internal resistance…and technical aid and support for pro-democracy activists inside Iran should be prioritized to ensure that individuals engaged in uprisings can evade surveillance and censorship, connect, campaign, and mobilize domestically and internationally to topple the regime from within.”

U.S. foreign policy in Iran should not be a political issue. It’s a human rights issue, a global security issue, and a common-sense issue.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI): The international community must support the struggle of the Iranian people and Resistance to overthrow this regime. This is the only way with which the world can rid the Middle East of terrorism, warmongering, and religious fundamentalism.

MEK Iran (follow them on Twitter and Facebook)

and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube