By: Jagdish N. Singh

The great spirit behind the principle of checks and balances in a democracy is to prevent any organ of its government from turning authoritarian and threatening world peace. The American Senate deserves applause for having asserted this spirit and passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act with 98 votes in favor and just one against. This Act would grant Congress an oversight role and members 30 days to review a final deal the Obama administration is currently working out with Tehran. During this period no sanctions against Iran can be eased.

The White House has done well to signal that it would be willing to sign it. President Barack Obama had originally vowed to veto the legislation relating to the current nuclear negotiations with Iran. It seems Obama has read the mood of the Congress well. Besides, he has taken note of a recent poll that suggests that over 65 per cent of Americans today favour any nuclear agreement with Tehran being made subject to congressional approval.

I hope the American government and all its close Western democratic allies would henceforward remain cautious in their ongoing nuclear dialogue with Tehran . In a recent television interview American Secretary of State John Kerry has accused the critics of the Iran nuclear deal of “hysteria.” He would do well to calculate what the Khomeninist regime has been up to all these years. The nature of the evil seldom changes. The ultra- reactionary Khomeinist regime cannot be an exception. Given its fanatical ideology and past behavior , it would be naïve to assume Tehran would ever be serious about the deal currently being negotiated with the Permanent Five plus One and abandon its ongoing nuclear armament program.

Knowledgeable sources assert Tehran has never been true to any commitment not to advance its nuclear program. It has continuously evaded IAEA inspections and advanced this program further. Tehran will go ahead with the same approach. Simultaneously, it would use the sanctions relief, which would come about after the deal is signed, to boost its support for its terrorist proxies the world over. Any sanctions pressure has so far not caused the Iranian regime to reduce its support for terrorism or destabilizing activities in the region.

Tehran today provides Hezbollah up to $200 million per year. Between 2006 and 2011 it gave Hamas with $250-$300 million annually. Tehran gives as much as $35 billion per year to prop up the Assad regime in Syria. There would be an increase in the funding of such activities upon the completion of the proposed deal . And in the process, Houthis in Yemen , the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon , Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza all would stand to benefit substantially .

The sources warn that those who entertain any positivism about the Iranian behavior today may just listen to what Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has reportedly said recently: “A rich and strong Iran will be able to stand by its allies and friends, and the peoples of the region, especially the resistance in Palestine, more than in any time in the past.”

The sources say the worst effect of such fake closeness between the West and Tehran would be over 75 million Iranians . It would embolden Tehran to continue overlooking its heinous rights record. Ever since the Khomeinis came to power in Tehran over 36 years ago there has been no freedom and democracy in the country. The  government today pours millions of dollars into military efforts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere. But the masses are languishing in a sinking economy in the country. The regime has proceeded with its barbaric crimes against women, the youth, journalists, dancers, musicians, Christians, Baha’is, Kurds and others. The  incarceration of three American citizens, Pastor Saeed Abedini, Marine Amir Hekmati and Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, goes on. In 2013 there were hopes around that the current ‘moderate’ President Hassan Rouhani would bring some changes. But they have dashed to the grounds. His presidency has instead seen a dramatic increase in its executions . Over the last 18 months, more than 1,193 are estimated to have been killed as compared to 827 in the 18 months before his term.

Will the conscientious West get up ? The sources lament it has so far been in deep slumber . In June 2009, in the aftermath of a contested presidential election, the Iranian people had tried to tell their story to the world in their Green Revolution. But the Khomeinist regime resorted to crackdowns and the West looked the other way. The pattern has remained the same throughout . The West must abandon this for the sake of humanity and justice it is never weary of preaching to the world. The threat of another grassroots uprising is  looming large over the horizons . This time it is being spearheaded by laborers and lower socioeconomic brackets. The  regime is trying to paralyze it with the help of those who made fortunes exploiting shortages in food and pharmaceutical supplies.  The West could back forces that would foster freedom and democracy in Iran .

Besides, the sources warn, if Tehran’s nuclear program is not checkmated in reality, some of the Arab nations might use it to advance their own armament program . This would lead to arms race posting a threat to peace in the region and the world . Already, rulers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, are asking for new “defensive agreements” with the United States to counter Tehran’s regional aggression and pursuit of nuclear capabilities. They are interested in procuring drones, surveillance equipment, missile-defense systems and upgraded fighter jet capabilities . They want to procure an advanced system such as radar-proof, supersonic F-35 which has so far only been reserved for Israel and Turkey alone. Such Arab states seem inclined even to acquire nuclear capabilities to deter Tehran .

About the Author: Jagdish N. Singh is an Indian journalist based in New Delhi.

The Jewish Press