Brian Hook's Note: Iran Must Compromise with the U.S.

Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, in a note published in the New York Times coinciding with the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, states that "Iran must compromise with the U.S." Hook refers to the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, noting that "few outside the ruling elite in Iran have celebrated it" because the revolution has failed to fulfill the promises of Ayatollah Khomeini and the revolutionaries of 1979 regarding justice and prosperity. According to Hook, the current Iranian government is characterized by "pressure, corruption, and internal mismanagement, along with horrific and divisive foreign actions." He claims that the Iranian government has fueled "violence and death" in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and beyond through its supported Shiite militias, and that Iran's support for Hezbollah and Hamas has led to deadly border attacks on Israel. Iranian officials deny accusations of interference in the affairs of regional countries, stating that they provide "assistance" to Syria and Iraq at the request of their central governments to "combat terrorism." They do not recognize Israel as a country and have repeatedly spoken of its "destruction" or "erasure from the map." They refer to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah as "resistance groups." Hook then addresses Iran's internal mismanagement and Washington's actions to increase pressure on Tehran, bringing up the IRGC's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He mentions "billions of dollars" that have been paid under the guise of "charity" but have reached Ayatollah Khamenei, adding that the IRGC has become a "government within a government" controlling large sectors of the economy. In 2013, Reuters published an investigative report stating that the "Executive Headquarters of Imam Khomeini's Order," overseen by Ayatollah Khamenei, has approximately $95 billion in assets. That year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the Executive Headquarters of Imam Khomeini and a network of 37 affiliated companies. At that time, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that these actions would make negotiations and resolving the nuclear issue "more difficult and complicated." The Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement reached in 2015 and reinstated related sanctions. Iran, along with other parties to the agreement, including European countries, Russia, and China, remains committed to the deal. The Trump administration claims it has turned to a "maximum pressure campaign" to "change Tehran's behavior." In his New York Times note, Hook poses the questions: "Is it not time for the Iranian government to move past 40 years of mismanagement and failure? Is it not time to abandon a policy that has separated the people of Iran and the people of America since 1979?" This U.S. official states that the people of Iran and America should have diplomatic relations. He adds that American thinkers can help solve Iran's problems, such as air pollution in Tehran, housing after earthquakes, medical assistance to veterans of the Iran-Iraq war, or issues like Lake Urmia. Hook states that "the U.S. is ready to engage with the Iranian government based on mutual respect and achieving common interests," but to reach this goal, "the government must decide that it wants to be a normal country and not a revolutionary movement." This demand has been made several times by U.S. officials. On the other hand, Ayatollah Khamenei and many officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly praised the 1979 revolution and its "achievements." The Supreme Leader recently issued a statement titled "The Second Step of the Revolution," stating that "no solution is conceivable regarding America, and negotiations with it will yield nothing but material and spiritual loss." Hook asserts that a "peace-seeking Iran" means peace for the Middle East and that "it is time for countries to return to expressing this basic demand from Iran to behave like a normal and peace-seeking country." He elaborates that Iran must "refrain from pursuing its nuclear weapons, stop ballistic missile tests, cease support for terrorist proxy groups, and end the arbitrary detention of dual citizens." According to Hook, the Iranian government should spend its money on the Iranian people, not on "supporting dictators, terrorists, missiles, and militias." The Islamic Republic claims it is not seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran states that its missile program, while under extensive military sanctions, is "defensive in nature." The Islamic Republic has denied accusations of supporting terrorism. Tehran officials have referred to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and some other countries, including Yemen, as the Islamic Republic's "strategic depth." Hook warns that if other countries do not compel the Iranian government to adhere to international norms, the violence of the Islamic Republic abroad and pressures within its borders will increase. He states that "the people of Iran" are pressuring the government from within and "asking countries to support them in applying external pressures." Hook claims this is the best way to achieve peace, rights, and freedom, which is "the right of the Iranian people and was promised in 1979." The U.S. State Department official concludes that it is ultimately up to the people of Iran to choose their country's path, but the U.S. supports "the voice of the Iranian people that has long been ignored" and that "other countries should join this effort." Trump administration officials have repeatedly stated their intention to "support the people" of Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has previously responded to similar remarks by stating that "the aim of U.S. sanctions is the Iranian people, but this policy will not affect the determination of the people." The U.S. Secretary of State has stated that "Iran's commitment to changing its behavior is the criterion for the value of talks with Tehran." Iranian officials have not yet responded to Brian Hook's latest note.