Iranian Solution: End Appeasement, Support the Resistance

Global Condemnation of the Iranian Regime

In its latest stance, the G7 members have unequivocally condemned the Iranian regime’s destabilizing actions. These actions include accelerating uranium enrichment without a credible civilian justification, supporting terrorist organizations in the Middle East and the Red Sea, expanding ballistic missiles and drones, suppressing dissidents beyond its borders, and violating fundamental human rights at home.

In line with this, the White House has released a document referencing the implementation of a maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This document, signed by President Donald Trump on February 4, emphasizes that the Iranian regime has committed severe human rights violations, taken foreign citizens hostage, and subjected them to torture without fair trials.

Additionally, the document identifies Iran’s nuclear program—including its uranium enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, as well as the development of missile systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads—as an existential threat to the United States and the entire civilized world.

The Iranian Regime Cannot Survive Without War and Repression

The theocracy ruling Iran cannot survive without military intervention in the region, support for terrorism, hostage-taking, and fueling fundamentalism worldwide. It is naive to believe that this regime will ever abandon its war-mongering and oppressive policies. The Iranian society resembles a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

In 2024 alone, the Iranian regime executed at least 1,000 people, a stark indicator of how it uses regional crises to conceal its internal repression. With its strategic defeats in the region, including the loss of influence in Syria and the weakening or destruction of its proxy forces, the regime has intensified its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

This development has heightened international concerns, with Israel threatening to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities with U.S. support. Under these circumstances, a critical question arises: Can a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities provide a definitive solution to end the religious dictatorship?

Iranian Solution: Confronting Religious Fascism by the Iranian People

The adoption of a new policy toward the Islamic Republic has long been debated among policymakers, analysts, and think tanks. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that Iran plays a role in every international crisis. In this context, the most cost-effective and effective solution is to leave the fate of the Iranian regime in the hands of the Iranian people.

However, before this can happen, the destructive policy of appeasement toward the Islamic Republic must come to an end. For decades, Western appeasement has not only failed to curb the regime’s aggression but also has emboldened it in domestic repression and regional adventurism.

A prime example of this was the 2015 nuclear agreement, which, despite lifting certain sanctions, allowed the Iranian regime to expand its influence in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon and advance its missile program. Ending appeasement is the first step in confronting the regime.

The next step is supporting the organized resistance of the Iranian people.

The next step is supporting the organized resistance of the Iranian people.

A Resistance with a Clear Vision for Iran’s Future

The Iranian Resistance advocates for freedom, women’s rights, the autonomy of Iranian nationalities, equality between Shiites and Sunnis and other religions, the separation of religion from state, the abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran.

This resistance is committed to establishing a free and democratic Iran that continuously supports peace in the Middle East. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the democratic alternative to the regime consists of forces that reject both forms of dictatorship—whether that of the Shah or the mullahs.

Following the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, a six-month transitional government will be established with the primary task of holding elections for a Constituent Assembly and transferring sovereignty to the people’s representatives.

A Historic Opportunity for Change in Iran

General Keith Kellogg, former special envoy for Trump in the Ukraine-Russia war, stated at an Iranian opposition gathering in Paris: “I believe this year should be the year of hope, action, and change. The Iranian regime is now weaker and more vulnerable than at any time in past decades. Change must happen, and it must happen now.”

At the same conference, Liz Truss, former UK Prime Minister, described 2025 as a pivotal moment in Iran’s history, stating: “This is a real opportunity for change in Iran. Change must come from within and be led by the Iranian people. We must confront those in our own countries who appease or support the Iranian regime.”

A Well-Organized Resistance, Rooted in Iranian Society

John Bercow, former Speaker of the UK Parliament, also emphasized the existence of a democratic and organized alternative in Iran: “Thousands of resistance units across Iran have emerged from within society. They are deeply intertwined with the people because they are part of the nation.”

Conclusion: End Appeasement, Support the Resistance

The Iranian regime is at its weakest point in decades. However, without ending appeasement and without supporting the democratic alternative, this historic opportunity will be lost. The organized Iranian resistance, with thousands of active units across the country, has the capacity to lead this change. The fight of the resistance units for the regime’s overthrow must be supported, just as the French Resistance was supported against Nazi fascism.

Now, more than ever, a real opportunity exists to achieve a free and democratic Iran.

Hamid Enayat is a political scientist, specializing on the topic of Iran, who collaborates with the Iranian democratic opposition.