With the so-called “snapback” mechanism against Iran – part of the 2015 “Iran nuclear deal” (or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) – set to take effect this Sunday, Sept. 28, public demonstrations by Iranians, including several in New York City throughout September, have been dramatizing the widespread desire for peace and stability in the nation at the epicenter of much of the ongoing turmoil and terror in the Middle East. “In these circumstances, the only remaining chance is for [President] Masoud Pezeshkian, together with the Foreign Minister and armed with full written authority from the Supreme Leader, to reach an agreement through direct and official negotiations with the United States, while simultaneously conducting necessary talks within the European Union framework, so that diplomacy can be revived and the Snapback process halted.” The 1988 experience illustrates this pattern: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, was forced to accept a ceasefire with Iraq, which he described as “drinking from the poisoned chalice.” To maintain his grip on power afterward, he oversaw the massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners, instilling terror and preserving the regime temporarily.
Author: Hamid Enayat
Published at: 2025-09-22 22:50:13
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