Behdar Medical: Trump Wants to Bring the Revolution to Its Knees

Massoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reacted to recent statements by his American counterpart during the anniversary speech of the 1979 revolution, stating that Donald Trump wants to bring the revolution to its "knees." The first ceremony and march commemorating the 1979 revolution took place on Monday, February 11, in Tehran and other cities, coinciding with Trump's return to the White House, where he emphasized his desire for a deal with the Islamic Republic while also signing a presidential memorandum to reinstate the "maximum pressure" policy against Iran. In his speech, Pezeshkian said, "Trump says he wants to talk, then at the same time signs all possible plots to bring the revolution to its knees and claims to be open to dialogue, asserting that Iran has disrupted regional security." Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President, also attacked Trump during the same rally, stating, "Trump has shown he is not trustworthy, unless he changes, which is unlikely." Aref added, "Regarding a deal with the U.S., it should be noted that it is a bilateral deal, and both sides must benefit. Today, we do not feel we have any benefit in dealing with the U.S." The Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on February 11, saying that the Islamic Republic will engage with any party that considers negotiation a reasonable way to achieve mutual benefits, but will firmly respond to any unilateral imposition of interests through threats and intimidation. Concurrently with the attacks from Islamic Republic officials on the U.S. President, the price of the U.S. dollar in the Iranian free market continues to break records, reaching nearly 94,000 tomans by noon on Monday. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who two weeks ago asked Iranian officials to be cautious about who they "deal" with, described negotiations with Trump's government on February 8 as neither "wise," nor "intelligent," nor "honorable," citing "experience" as the reason. His reference was to the first Trump administration's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA between Iran and six world powers, which reduced Iran's oil exports, caused a surge in foreign currency prices, and put the Islamic Republic under unprecedented economic pressure. The government ceremony celebrating the victory of the 1979 revolution, which according to the Associated Press was attended by "tens of thousands" of people from the capital, concluded on Monday amid ongoing unprecedented pressure on the Iranian people. In the past three days, following Khamenei's rejection of negotiations with the U.S., many social media users have pointed to the anger and despair of citizens. Public dissatisfaction with the current situation in the country overflowed from social media into the streets and neighborhoods of several cities on the evening of Sunday, February 10, with government fireworks for the anniversary of the "Islamic Revolution" accompanied by anti-government slogans from critics and opponents. Among the slogans shouted in Tehran on Sunday night was "Khamenei, have some shame, look at Bashar al-Assad," with videos also released of protest slogans in several cities including Kermanshah, Mashhad, and Arak. Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed readiness to negotiate with the Islamic Republic over the past month, stated on February 6 that the United States is seeking a verifiable nuclear agreement with Tehran that would allow Iran to thrive peacefully. Trump also reiterated that Iran should not have nuclear weapons and stated that immediate action must be taken to reach a new agreement, claiming that once this agreement is completed and signed, "the Middle East will celebrate a great festival." In response to Khamenei's stance against negotiations with the U.S., some Iranian officials have claimed that Washington's policy towards Iran goes beyond the nuclear issue and aims at "disarming the Islamic Republic."