Tillerson: Our Conflict is Not with the People of Iran, but with the Revolutionary Regime

Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized on Wednesday, October 25, that his country's sanctions against Iran target the "malicious behaviors" of the Islamic Republic, stating, "Our conflict is not with the people of Iran. Our disagreements are with the revolutionary regime [of the Islamic Republic]." He also stressed that "the aim of the U.S. is to help the people of Iran regain control of their government." According to AFP, Mr. Tillerson, speaking in New Delhi after discussions with his Indian counterpart during a press conference, added that the United States does not intend to block the "legal" trade of India or any other allied country with Iran. The U.S. government has recently adopted a tougher stance towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the Revolutionary Guard, raising concerns among investors in Iran. On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of State reiterated that his country's actions are aimed at limiting Iran's "destabilizing activities" in the Middle East. He referred to Iran's missile program, the "export of weapons to terrorist organizations," and involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Iran's missile program and slogans calling for the "destruction of Israel," as well as the very hostile statements from Islamic Republic officials against Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies in the region, have raised concerns in the United States and among its allies regarding Iran's expanding influence. Iranian officials, in turn, criticize U.S. influence in the region. Rex Tillerson added, "We are taking steps to impose sanctions against the regime and especially the Revolutionary Guard of Iran. Our goal is to reduce their funding capacity and disrupt their activities related to these malicious behaviors." Mr. Tillerson further stated that the United States seeks to "support the reformist voices within Iran" so they can bring about change in the government. The U.S. Secretary of State added, "We know that there are strong sentiments and values within Iran that we want to promote so that the people of Iran can one day regain control of their government." He continued, "They live under the control of this oppressive revolutionary regime, and we do not want to harm the people of Iran. Our conflict is not with the people of Iran." Journalists at the press conference asked Mr. Tillerson about India's multi-hundred million dollar investment in the Chabahar port in Iran; a contract signed between Iran and India in 2016. The development of Chabahar port helps Central Asian countries access Indian markets more easily by bypassing Pakistan, India's political and regional rival. The U.S. Secretary of State responded to this question by saying that he sees no "contradiction" between the U.S. call for sanctions against Iran and India's contract in Chabahar. He added that Washington does not intend to interfere in "existing legal business activities, whether European or Indian trade." On October 19, the U.S. Secretary of State had also stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the aim of the U.S. President's new strategy towards Iran is not to interfere with or disrupt European trade relations with Tehran. His reference was to Donald Trump's speech and the White House statement regarding the U.S. efforts to block all possible pathways for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and to adopt stricter policies towards Iran within the framework of the JCPOA agreement. Following the suspension of sanctions against Iran in January 2016, trade relations between Iran and Europe began. Many European companies, including in the automotive and energy sectors, have entered into transactions with Iran.