Iran Protests; Radio Farda's Interview with Joel Reiberg, Senior Director for Iran at the National Security Council

Exclusive interview with Joel Reiberg, Senior Director for the National Security Council and responsible for Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon. Thank you, Mr. Reiberg. When U.S. President Donald Trump and senior lawmakers call for support for the people of Iran, what kind of support are they referring to? The first point is that the demonstrators should understand that they are not alone; the world is watching their protests, understands their grievances, and supports their right to express their demands. Also, support for the right of the Iranian people to freely assemble so that they can express their legitimate concerns and draw the government's attention to these demands. To what extent will this support be? For example, if the Iranian government suppresses the demonstrators, will you consider new sanctions? Yes, and the U.S. government has the authority from Congress to impose new sanctions against individuals and organizations that violate human rights in Iran. Sanctions are tools that we can use if the Iranian government intervenes against such peaceful demonstrations. Do you currently have any specific sanctions in mind? We have such authority under current law and do not need to go back to Congress. Therefore, we will closely monitor events in Iran and keep an eye on human rights violations. Senator Lindsey Graham [a senior U.S. senator] has stated that Donald Trump should not limit support for Iranians to tweeting messages and should provide a practical strategy. Besides the points you mentioned, what can the U.S. President do in response to such requests? The first thing President Trump and his administration do is mobilize the international community to support the rights of Iranians to hold free assemblies and express their opinions freely. He has invited other countries to join the U.S. and urge the Iranian government to refrain from using violence against its people; people who have taken to the streets to express their legitimate concerns. A question regarding Ayatollah Khamenei's statements about foreign governments interfering in Iran's internal affairs. What is your response? It is very clear that these demonstrations and protests are entirely spontaneous and expressed by the people of Iran themselves. Therefore, [Ayatollah Khamenei's claim] is false and hypocritical, attempting to divert the legitimate grievances and honest expressions of discontent from the people and attribute them to some vague foreign conspiracy. We know, and the senior leader [of the Islamic Republic of Iran] knows very well, that it is the people of Iran who are expressing their dissatisfaction with their government with their voices, and it has nothing to do with anyone else outside of Iran. If the leader [of the Islamic Republic] pretends not to hear the voices of his people, this will lead to more difficulties. Will recent events affect U.S. policy towards Iran, especially regarding the JCPOA agreement? Of course, it is very early to comment on this, but the President's decisions are always comprehensive and inclusive. The President and cabinet members will consider not only the JCPOA agreement but all aspects related to the situation in Iran. The President's and cabinet members' view of the JCPOA is not one-sided and encompasses all the difficulties that the Iranian government creates for the United States and the collective security of the international community; therefore, all aspects of the matter, including the Iranian regime's support for terrorism, support for proxy militia groups in the Middle East that disrupt the stability of other nations and instigate civil wars or expand such wars, exploit the international financial system to transfer funds used for terrorism, will be considered. Additionally, the goal is to close all pathways for the Iranian regime to access nuclear weapon capabilities, especially since the Iranian regime has engaged in other actions. Mr. Reiberg, as the Senior Director for the National Security Council and responsible for Iran, what do you expect from America's allies, especially Europe? What we expect from other governments is to take a very clear position in respecting the basic rights of the Iranian people and that the government's response when they express their complaints and concerns about their situation should not be accompanied by violence. People should be free to exercise their rights and express their legitimate concerns. This is a fundamental message to the world that the basic rights of the Iranian people must be respected. At the end of last week, requests were made by some young Iranians to the U.S. government for the establishment of a secure and reliable internet service; can the U.S. government do anything in this regard? Of course, we are examining all the options available to us. At the same time, we urge everyone to refrain from any actions that would jeopardize Iranians' access to internet services and information. The people of Iran should have free access to these services not only to express their opinions but also in their daily lives, and there should be no censorship in these matters.