At the beginning of this month, the United States strengthened its sanctions on the nation of Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted out these intentions two days before their enactment: “On November 5, we will place tough sanctions on Iran’s ruling regime. Our aim is to compel Iran to abandon its destructive activities. The sanctions will target the regime—not the people, who have suffered the pain of their government’s mismanagement, theft, and brutality.”[i] This is another bold step by this current administration that flies in the face of many of America’s European allies, most of whom are still trying to find ways to save the 2015 Iran Deal.

These sanctions are an essential part of a policy that is dedicated to undermining a government which is not just a sponsor of terrorism, but is actively involved in plotting and carrying it out. Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran–U.S. Representative Office (NCRI–US) claims that most of the recent terror activity linked to Iran was planned and executed “under the supervision of [the Special Affairs Office of the Supreme Leader] after Khamenei personally approved them.”[ii] And the rate of state-directed terrorism is on the rise, elevating from two incidents in 2017 to eight so far in 2018. “Tehran has plotted one major terror operation in Europe and the United States every six weeks from March to September 2018,” according to Jafarzadeh.[iii]

In March 2018, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) laid plans for an attack in Tirana, Albania. Three thousand members of the People’s Mujaheddin of Iran (MEK), the largest opposition movement against the current Iranian regime, gathered to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.[iv] Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and numerous U.S. embassy officials were in attendance. Two regime agents were arrested before the attack could be executed.[v]

On June 30 of this year, thousands rallied in Paris to demonstrate against Iranian leadership. Rudy Giuliani was again in attendance, as was former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, both of whom delivered speeches.[vi] On the day of the event, Assadollah Assadi, the MOIS station chief in Vienna and head of MOIS for Europe, passed a bomb to two Iranian agents. They were discovered and arrested. Assadi was tracked down and arrested in Germany. All are currently awaiting trial in Belgium.[vii]

These are just two of the major events that have recently taken place. There are also regular assassination attempts on foreign soil against opposition leaders. In September, Danish authorities intervened against one of these plots. After arresting the suspect, the government of Denmark pulled their ambassador from Tehran and called for EU sanctions against the Iranian regime.[viii]

Because of the militant nature of the Iranian leadership, some conservatives in the U.S. government believe the new sanctions do not go far enough. But the State Department feels these measures will take a hard shot at Iran’s shipping, financial, and energy sectors, while still protecting humanitarian assistance.[ix] Continuation of that aid is essentially an olive branch held out to the average, struggling citizen, many of whom are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their theocratic regime.

Continued pressure must be laid upon this violent, theocratic government if there is to be any hope of change. While they are hostile to most of the rest of the world, they save their greatest hostility for their own people, having executed some 120,000 dissidents since 1981. Those Iranians seeking revolution take their lives in their own hands. They need to know that there are other nations behind them, who will support them against a very powerful ruling class. The United States’ directed sanctions will send a clear message to the masses of the Iranian people that the United States will be there for them if help is needed.

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[i] Pompeo, Mike. Twitter, 3 Nov. 2018, twitter.com/secpompeo/status/1058836959446081538?s=21.

[ii] NCRI-US. Ncrius.org, 6 Nov. 2018, www.ncrius.org/ncri-reveals-details-of-tehrans-terror-machine-in-the-west.html.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] NCRI-US. Twitter, 3 Nov. 2018, twitter.com/ncrius/status/1058849762722701312?s=21.

[v] NCRI-US. Twitter, 3 Nov. 2018, twitter.com/ncrius/status/1058850755111727106?s=21.

[vi] RFE/RL. “Trump’s Political Allies Speak at MEK Rally In Paris.” RFE/RL, 30 June 2018, en.radiofarda.com/a/trump-s-political-allies-speak-at-mek-rally-/29329523.html.

[vii] NCRI-US. Twitter, 3 Nov. 2018, twitter.com/ncrius/status/1058854960450953218?s=21.

[viii] NCRI-US. Twitter, 3 Nov. 2018, twitter.com/ncrius/status/1058858983744782336?s=21.

[ix] O’Reilly, Andrew. “Secretary of State Pompeo Defends Iran Sanctions—and Waivers—amid Criticism from Both Sides.”FOX News Network, 4 Nov. 2018, www.foxnews.com/politics/secretary-of-state-pompeo-defends-iran-sanctions-and-waivers-amid-criticism-from-both-sides.