Exclusive; Military Advancements Increase the Risk of the Islamic Republic's Threats Becoming Reality

A senior researcher on Iranian affairs at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Behnam Talablu, in an exclusive interview with VOA, called for the activation of the trigger mechanism by the U.S. and its allies, referring to the military advancements of the Islamic Republic. On Tuesday, August 22, Talablu stated that the Islamic Republic's access to advanced military weapons enhances the capabilities of Iranian security institutions to actualize Tehran's military threats in the Middle East. Activating the trigger mechanism, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, would lead to the resumption of all international sanctions against Iran. While the Islamic Republic of Iran has always threatened to destroy Israel, Iranian officials have recently announced the production of advanced military weapons such as the Mohajer-10 drone and supersonic cruise missiles. In another part of his remarks, Talablu mentioned that enriched uranium with a purity of over 80 percent in Iran is beyond the control framework of the U.S. and other countries. Bloomberg reported last winter that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors identified enriched uranium with a purity of 84 percent at Iran's nuclear sites. Talablu also criticized the lack of support from the U.S. and the European Union for the demands of protesters in Iran for the end of the Islamic Republic's rule. He cited prioritizing the Iranian nuclear file or avoiding risk as reasons for the reluctance of the U.S. and its allies to take action in this regard. Talablu further called for prioritizing the case of Jamshid Sharmeh, a dual German-Iranian citizen and permanent resident of the U.S., by Washington officials. This senior expert referred to the abduction of Sharmeh from the United Arab Emirates as 'kidnapping' and linked it to U.S. national security. Sharmeh was abducted in 2020 in Dubai by the Iranian security forces and transferred to Iran. This citizen, identified as the head of the 'Tondar' group, a media outlet associated with the Iranian Monarchy Association, was sentenced to death in 2022 for 'corruption on earth.'