by Cyrus Yaqubi
Both the regime’s internal and regional power and awe have been shattered…
President Hassan Rouhani, in his angry and obsessive speech about Trump’s policies on Wednesday January 20th, said: “The one whose government ends today, that is Trump, did not know politics … but those who replaced him today know politics.”
Rouhani, while sending the green light to Biden’s diplomacy, addressed his speech to the internal opponents of the JCPOA, the dominant gang, who believe that the JCPOA is a “body with a damaged brain” or a “rotten corpse” and play the opposition music to negotiations. By this speech he wanted to draw a red line on views that reject negotiation and push them back. He was happy that he was able to survive, at least temporarily, the overthrow crisis that his regime has faced and said, “They wanted to overthrow our government and our system, they wanted to bring the people to the streets, but all this failed.”.
He also lamented that Qassem Soleimani had been killed and said that Trump had explicitly admitted that he had ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani.
In the face of Rouhani’s dreams, The Hill website associated with US congress wrote, “Anthony Blinken, in his confirmation meeting with the US Foreign Relations Committee that lasted 4 hours, in response to committee members questions explained his plans to counter the Iranian regime’s vicious activities, with special attention paid to terrorist financing in the region, ballistic missiles and human rights violations”.
Senator James Risch, a member of the Intelligence Committee and chairman of the Middle East Subcommittee, said, “any new deal with Iran should consider all aspects of their malicious behavior, and any agreement should be submitted to the Senate as a treaty to be confirmed.”
Blinken pledged to start serious talks on Iran with the US Congress and US allies in the region, including the Arab states and Israel.
“Iran continues to be a source of instability in the region and a threat to both US regional allies and US forces stationed in the region,” said General Lloyd Austin, Biden’s defense secretary pick.
Thus, Rouhani once again proved with his hasty speech that the explosive situation of the society or, as he put it, “bringing the people to the streets” is his main concern and he has found the solution in associating with Biden and begging for the survival of the mullahs’ regime. But this main headache and concern does not leave him even for a moment and took away his ability to understand that 2016 conditions will not return and no longer exist.
This can be seen from the statements of Biden administration’s officials and politicians, who are aware of regional and international sensitivities to the Islamic Republic’s missile threats and the consequences of Tehran’s financial and weapons support for the region’s militias. As Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan put it, “Iran’s ballistic missile program must be on the table.”
Internally, Iranian society has gone through the uprisings of 2017, 2018 and 2019 during these four years and is currently in an explosive condition. Both the regime’s internal and regional power and awe have been shattered, with its regional capabilities diminishing every day and its strategic depth having suffered major blows. But Rouhani wants to paint a positive perspective for the JCPOA as a breakthrough for lifting sanctions and display it as his trump card.
Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the economy of the middle east countries that are relying on the oil revenue and comparing their progress to their ruling system, specially covering a variety of topics about Iran.
