Faezeh Hashemi: The Policies of the Islamic Republic are Subversive

Faezeh Hashemi, a political activist and daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, states that the Islamic Republic's own policies are leading Iran towards subversion without the need for 'others' to intervene. She argues that the current pressures against Tehran stem from the regime's 'foreign policy' in the Middle East and are unrelated to the nuclear deal (JCPOA). According to reports from the Khabar Online website, Hashemi made these remarks during an iftar gathering with social activists. She characterized the claims of some government officials about an 'enemy' attempt to subvert the regime as 'projection' and 'misdirection to remain in power,' deeming concerns in this regard as 'unfounded.' Hashemi asserted, 'The policies adopted by the government are steering the country towards subversion, and there is no need for others to do anything.' She attributed the current problems facing Iran not to the JCPOA but to the Islamic Republic's 'foreign policy' in 'Syria, Yemen, and its relations with countries, or severing relations and hostility with others.' She stated, 'The pressures being exerted on Iran by the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, both covertly and overtly, have nothing to do with the JCPOA or the US withdrawal from it, and unfortunately, they aim to mislead public perception from what has actually happened and continues to happen.' Hashemi's remarks refer to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran's nuclear program, which US officials have attributed to the Islamic Republic's missile program and its activities in the Middle East. While the US has threatened Iran with the 'harshest' sanctions in history if it does not cease its actions in the Middle East, Islamic Republic officials defend their regional policies and have stated they will not negotiate with any country regarding their missile program. In another part of her speech, Hashemi declared that the outcome of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy has resulted in 'dissatisfaction' both domestically and internationally, adding that Iran incurs 'huge' costs and damages its 'credibility' in the world without gaining any 'benefit' from its foreign policy, and when the time comes for exploitation, they effectively exclude us, as seen in Syria and Iraq. She proposed that a 'free referendum' is the way to reveal the people's opposition to these policies. Hashemi urged Islamic Republic officials to 'have the courage and honesty to hold a referendum according to the law and put several important issues that seem to be heavily criticized to public votes so that the people's opinions are heard and everything is clarified.' In her view, the result of the Islamic Republic's policies forces the people to 'drink the poison chalice or engage in heroic flexibility at the last moment,' and the 'cost' of this governance method is borne by the Iranian people. She stated that the condition for the people's unity with the Islamic Republic is to create 'trust' among the people and for the government to learn from its 'mistakes,' warning that 'the people have nothing left to lose that they should be concerned about.'