US: The Islamic Republic of Iran is neither democratic nor transparent; it suppresses to remain in power

The Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department stated that none of the aspects of the political system in the Islamic Republic of Iran are democratic or transparent, including the management, judicial, and electoral sectors. According to Vedant Patel, the world has been aware of this reality for some time. In a press conference on Wednesday, January 24, in response to a question from Voice of America regarding the disqualification of Hassan Rouhani from participating in the Assembly of Experts elections, he said he had 'no specific opinion' on this matter. However, he expressed the overall view of the US regarding the Islamic Republic system, stating that the Biden administration does not even expect the upcoming parliamentary elections to be free and fair. Noting that thousands of candidates have been disqualified for the parliamentary elections for the past two months, Patel described the process as non-transparent and added, 'One should not expect more from a non-democratic regime that suppresses its people to remain in power.' In response to why the US issued a visa for Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, to attend a UN Security Council meeting, especially considering that two young men were executed in Iran on the morning of his arrival and that Washington and Tehran are effectively in a proxy war through the Houthis and Shiite militias in Iraq, Vedant Patel referred to the US's commitment as the host country of the UN headquarters to that international organization, stating that the Biden administration does not wish to host diplomats from the Islamic Republic on US soil, but takes its commitments to the UN seriously. The Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran is still viewed as a 'hostile country' by the US. He stated that the Islamic Republic is the largest exporter of terrorism with a significant history of creating instability in the Middle East and other parts of the world and continuously violates human rights. He said that the Biden administration's policy regarding the need for access for diplomats from the Islamic Republic to the UN has not changed, while also holding them accountable alongside other countries.