A group of experts discussed Iran’s regime’s nuclear program on Wednesday at the NCRI-US conference and concluded that firmness is the only solution to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
A distinguished array of national security and non-proliferation experts, including Ambassador John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor, Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator from Connecticut, Ambassador Robert Joseph, former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Olli Heinonen, former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Gen. Chuck Wald, former Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command, Soona Samsami, U.S. Representative of the NCRI, and Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director, Washington Office, NCRI, addressed the conference. James Rosen, Chief White House Correspondent, Newsmax, moderated the discussion.
“The event today, on the 20th anniversary of the NCRI’s revelation of the then-clandestine nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak, an integral part of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons program on August 14, 2002, in this very room, is quite timely because as most of you know, the U.S. and Europe are trying hard to convince the Iranian regime to return to the JCPOA.” Soona Samsami said in her opening remarks adding,
“One can imagine what would be the nuclear program of the Iranian regime, the most active state sponsor of terrorism, would be today at want of more than 100 revelations by the NCRI over the past three decades. Unfortunately, western powers have chosen the path of appeasement instead of firmness, offering concession after concession to the Iranian regime in the futile hope of convincing them to come clean.
“But the indisputable fact has been and continues to remain that the regime in Tehran will never abandon its nuclear weapon because it views it as a guarantee for its survival. The 20-year cat and mouse game by the regime is an affirmation of this fact.”
1. Soona Samsami, US rep. of NCRI: The indisputable fact has been and continues to remain that the regime in Tehran will never abandon its nuclear weapon because it views it as a guarantee for its survival. #Natanz20 #Iranhttps://t.co/h8CHeY3IE0
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 17, 2022
In his remarks, Ambassador John Bolton emphasized the importance of the Natanz revelation and criticized the continued policy of dialogue with the regime, and said,“This revelation about Natanz, for the U.S. government, was incredibility important… It was hard to get people in Washington, our friends in Europe, and elsewhere around the world to focus, especially on the threat from Iran,” Amb. Bolton said, adding,“For 20-plus years, this regime has lied about its nuclear program. Therefore, in case of any deal made, the reality is that the regime will not comply with it.” He concluded that there are “many reasons why we shouldn’t go for the 2015 agreement.”
4. Amb. Bob Joseph: The 2002 revelation significantly impacted how we thought about Iran and the need to respond to the Iranian nuclear program.#Natanz20 #Iranhttps://t.co/wWgKNKDqXK
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 17, 2022
Senator Joe Lieberman stated that the NCRI’s revelation in 2002 set the context for a bipartisan way to respond to the regime’s nuclear program. Referring to the awful situation of human rights and the surge in executions in Iran, as well as the increase in terrorist activities abroad under the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi, he concluded, “The Supreme Leader chose a murderer who has killed more than 529 men, 21 women, and several children in just a year. We must walk away from the discussions with this regime in Vienna. How can we trust a government that tries to assassinate our National Security Advisor? This regime will never change its behavior. So, our policy should be to support regime change. We have to stand with the people of Iran, including the NCRI.”
Ambassador Bob Joseph emphasized the necessity of a firm policy on Iran. He said, “If there will be an agreement, and if we lift sanctions, the result will be that the [Iranian regime] will support terrorism, make more missiles, will support regimes like Syria, and suppress the Iranian people.” He added, “We should not stand in the way of the Iranians who seek democracy and freedom.”
Olli Heinonen acknowledged the importance of the NCRI’s revelation in 2002 and the impact of the ensuing IAEA investigation on his own life. He also confirmed that cooperation between North Korea and the Iranian regime on the nuclear program continues to date.
6. Gen. Chuck Wald explains the military perspective of #Iran's nuclear sites following the @NCRIUS' 2002 revelations. #Natanz20https://t.co/848M7GR7MV
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 17, 2022
General Chuck Wald agreed with other panelists on the need for a firm policy on Iran and said, “The IRGC needs to stay on the Foreign Terrorist Organization’s list. That’s what they are.” He also insisted that the West needs to take action against the Iranian regime’s ballistic missiles program.
Alireza Jafarzadeh gave details of the NCRI’s revelations from the past few decades, emphasizing that nine months after Natanz, the NCRI also provided revelations about centrifuge testing facilities at Kala Electric in East Tehran, a laser enrichment facility in Lashkar Abad, and the Lavizan-Shian site in Tehran.
Jafarzadeh went on to give an account of the Iranian Resistance movement’s growth, the public’s commitment to regime change, and the proliferation of the Resistance Units through eight rounds of major protests since 2018, some engulfing over 200 cities, despite mass arrests.
“Under Raisi’s watch over the past year, the executions have more than doubled, including the resumption of public hangings,” Jafarzadeh said. “Terror plots abroad have increased, including on U.S. soil, and the nuclear defiance has continued. And all of this has happened while the West was constantly offering the regime concessions and avoiding accountability. So, with this regime, any concession will make them more aggressive, leniency on terrorism will beget more terrorism, and backing down on the nuclear issue will only speed up their dash toward the bomb.”
Ms. Samsami concluded that the ultimate solution for the Iranian regime’s nuclear program is regime change and said,
“In order to permanently curtail mullahs’ efforts in its military nuclear program, the West must take a firm position, the least of which is to activate the six U.N. security council resolutions. The ultimate solution to the nuclear crisis and all other aspects of the clerical regime’s malign behavior, including the export of terrorism, is a regime change by the Iranian people and the organized resistance and put in its place a democratically elected republic, a task the NCRI and the MEK are working towards 24/7, based on the 10-point plan for a democratic future of Iran introduced by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.”