Letter from a Number of Political and Civil Activists in Iran to the UN Secretary-General: 'The People of Iran Oppose War'

A number of political and civil activists in Iran have written a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the Security Council, and the members of this council, urging them to use all their political influence to support what they call the 'will of the Iranian people' to prevent a devastating war in the Middle East. The signatories, who identify themselves as 'supporters of the National Solidarity Movement,' emphasized in this letter that war in Iran would intensify the consolidation of the rule of the Supreme Leader, the suppression and execution of dissenters, and the massacre of thousands of political prisoners. They also state that the doctrine of 'crushing the octopus' in the fire of the war that has erupted in the Middle East will bring 'human and economic destruction' to Iran and Israel and will lead other countries in the Middle East and the world towards a 'very dark and dangerous future.' The signatories of the letter responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's message to the people of Iran, stating: 'We firmly say no to your intervention and that of any other government in determining the fate of the Iranian people.' Netanyahu had previously stated in a 'direct and unmediated' message to the 'people of Iran' that 'the vast majority of Iranians know that the regime does not care at all. If it did, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on pointless wars across the Middle East and start improving your lives.' He further claimed, 'When Iran is finally free - and that moment will come much sooner than everyone thinks - everything will be different.' The political and civil activists who wrote to the UN Secretary-General also emphasized that the expansion of war is exactly what 'the extremists in the system of the Supreme Leader' want. Following the military adventurism of the Islamic Republic and the missile attack on Israel, several figures and institutions have expressed concern about the consequences of ongoing tensions, and many have voiced that the Islamic Republic is responsible for the current situation and its consequences. Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also mentioned on the anniversary of receiving her award that after receiving this award, she faced increased restrictions and questioned whether anyone hears our 'no to war' voice despite the severe security conditions. In an interview with the Italian newspaper 'Corriere della Sera,' she stated that for her, peace is not just the absence of war but 'liberation from all forms of tyranny, oppression, discrimination, threats, terror, and insecurity,' and living under gender apartheid does not signify peace for women. Hamid Ismailioun, a political activist and an opponent of the Islamic Republic, emphasized that 'one can say no to both the Islamic Republic and war,' writing that in the event of war, the Islamic Republic does not have the support of 'the majority of us,' and supporting 'the military attack of others on Iran' would also lead to 'the ruthless judgment of history.' The 'Solidarity of Iranian Republicans' also stated in a statement that the way to save the country is to stand on two pillars: 'no to war' and 'no to the Islamic Republic,' and to confront the 'deceptive program' of reformists and the main supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian in dragging the nation to support the Islamic Republic's 'belligerent foreign policy.' Is the duality of 'war and negotiation' a constant policy of the Islamic Republic, or has Khamenei changed his position? Special program - Khamenei's war. Examination of three possible scenarios of war between Israel and the Islamic Republic in an interview with Hossein Aghaei. Prince Reza Pahlavi: The war in the region is not the war of the people of Iran; this war is a dictator's war, namely Ali Khamenei.