President of Near East Policy Research & Member Ali Safavi Talks Iran, Power Transition
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Who would ignite that regime change and who perhaps would assume power? I think our next guest has some views on that. Ali Safavi, he is a member of Iran's Parliament in Exile, the National Council of Resistance of Iran. And he's also a president of Near Easter Policy Research, which is a consulting and policy analysis firm in Washington, D.C. Ali, thanks so much for joining us here. Is regime change possible with these events in Iran over the last several days?
First of all, good to be with you. Well, regime change is indeed possible. There's no doubt about it. Because you have a nation that has been suppressed for 47 years. You have had 100,000 dissidents of the main Iranian opposition, the Mujahideen, executed by this regime. And you saw this past January, thousands were slaughtered. And of course, we have seen the same thing happening in 2022, 2019, 2017. And yes, the Iranian people are very determined despite the cost that it has exacted on them to overthrow this regime but that said we are the resistance movement that has been fighting this regime for 47 years and the previous regime the shah's regime since 1965 do not believe that change will come from the air
Change will not come through foreign intervention. Change must come from within Iran, underground, indigenous, organic, by the Iranian people and by a very potent and structured resistance within Iran itself. But yes, change is indeed possible. I think the Iranian regime is at the end of the line. The economy is bankrupt. uh the dollar their currency is in a free fall there's massive unemployment systemic corruption and right the regional policy has been defeated so yes indeed change is at hand so president trump called on the iranian people to rise up and topple their government do you expect that the iranian people are prepared to do that I believe that the Iranian people are very independent-minded people, as has been demonstrated throughout our history.
And they're not going to rise up or sit down on a call of anybody from the outside. They will decide to rise up when they think the time is right. Obviously, at this current moment, with the bombs dropping all over Iran, Iranian people are understandably careful not to do anything to get themselves into harm's way. After all, there's a war ongoing.
What is the significance of the impending power transition in Iran?
But as Mrs. Rajavi said the other day, that they should try to take care, take care of especially those who've been injured. And she also called on all parties involved to explain to exercise restraint when it comes to Iranian infrastructure and civilian areas. And yes, they will rise up, but in a methodic way. And this has to be organized to expect that when bombs are dropping for millions of Iranians to come to the streets, it's just very unrealistic. No similar situation you have seen people coming up, but once this conflict subsides, and given that the Iranian regime is weakened tremendously with the loss of Khamenei, which as Mr. Rajavi said yesterday, means the end of the religious tyranny in Iran, they will come out, but it has to be in an organized fashion.
Nothing will happen spontaneously.
In what ways has the current conflict altered the domestic political or social environment inside Iran?
Well, a very good question. Well, I think it has demonstrated to the people of Iran that the possibility to toppling this regime is much greater than any other time in the history of our nation.
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