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Amid Afghanistan Debacle, Biden Blowing Opportunity in Iran

Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2021
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by AMAC Newsline
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AMAC Exclusive By: Aaron Kliegman

iran

The disastrous evacuation of Afghanistan orchestrated by Biden and his foreign policy team is rightly dominating headlines this week. But as Kabul falls to the Taliban, Afghanistan may not be the only place in the Middle East where the Biden administration is bungling its response. Just across the border to the west, Iran has also been rocked with chaos for just over a month – although in this case it could work out favorably for the US, if only Biden can seize the opportunity.

Since July 15, the Iranian people have taken to the streets to protest against their government, a cruel and oppressive Islamist theocracy. Although demonstrations initially began in Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan over water shortages and frequent blackouts, they quickly spread nationwide and have evolved into an all-out repudiation of the tyrannical Iranian regime, providing a potential opportunity for the Biden administration to step up pressure on the regime. But Joe Biden appears to be blowing it.

The extent of the water crisis which sparked the protests is shocking. In Khuzestan alone, more than 700 villages have difficulty accessing water. Many residents must rely on trucks sent by the government to get water. And according to the Iranian Department of Water and Sewage, at least 110 cities across Iran have been forced to ration their water this summer amid supply cuts.

To quote Kaveh Madani, the former Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment and current Senior Fellow at Yale University, Iran is “essentially water bankrupt.”

Beyond its continued use of outdated agricultural and irrigation systems, the government also diverts water resources from one province to another without consideration for local populations. In 2018, for example, locals in Ahwaz, a city in Khuzestan Province, protested a regime plan, implemented by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, to reroute Karoon River, a major source of water in the area. The regime also diverted water from another river and undertook excessive dam construction. These projects drained several local lakes and ponds and increased pollution in the affected areas.

Around the same time in the city of Isfahan, located in central Iran, locals accused politicians of accepting bribes in exchange for allowing water to be diverted from their areas.

Regime insiders who control the contracts are always the ones who benefit the most when water is diverted. These same insiders also benefit the most from the hundreds of dams that have been constructed since the Iranian revolution in 1979, most of which were completely unnecessary.

Mohammad Hossein Shariatmadar, the head of Iran’s national center for strategic agriculture and water management, put it well in 2018: Iran is “only five years away from an all-encompassing water disaster as a result of five decades of mismanagement.”

In short, Iranians are angry. And they know who to blame — their corrupt and incompetent regime. But the ongoing protests aren’t just about water.

After initially focusing on water policies, frustrated Iranians across the country are now calling for the overthrow of the entire regime. Chants of “death to the dictator,” “[Supreme Leader] Khamenei, shame on you — leave Iran alone,” and “No Gaza, no Lebanon, my life for Iran” can be heard in towns and cities across the country — including Tehran, the capital.

This has become a familiar story. Back in December 2017, an earlier round of anti-government protests broke out across Iran. Initially focused on the regime’s economic policies, the demonstrations almost immediately turned political, and calls for the downfall of the regime became commonplace. The Iranian protests of 2019-2020 – in which at least 180 people died – were similarly sparked by government corruption and mismanagement, in particular a surprise increase in gas prices, and soon turned into anti-regime rallies.

The reason why this keeps happening is simple: The Iranian people want new government. They increasingly reject not only the clerical regime’s brutal rule, but also the existence of the current regime altogether. They want liberty and to restore Iran to its former place of prominence among the nations of the world.

President Trump recognized this fact and the brutality of Iran’s regime, which is why he loudly supported the Iranian people during each round of protests. He had moral clarity and saw the strategic benefit of weakening and distracting a hardened enemy.

President Biden, in contrast, has been largely silent on the current protests. Eventually, after weeks of unrest, Biden’s State Department released a brief statement supporting the right of the Iranian people “to voice their frustrations and hold their government accountable.” The Department also chastised Iran for its violent crackdown on the demonstrations. But the Biden administration, especially Biden himself, has effectively ignored what’s happening inside Iran.

You don’t have to look hard to find the reason why. Biden, like President Obama before him, is willing to overlook Iran’s belligerence and disregard for the Iranian people’s rights in hopes of securing a deal over the regime’s nuclear program. Indeed, Biden has made it clear he is hellbent on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, from which President Trump withdrew and which Iran now serially violates.

By all accounts, however, returning to the nuclear deal is increasingly unlikely, if not a lost cause. Negotiations are stalled, and Iran is content putting pressure on what it considers a weak Biden administration. But now, with momentum building against the regime inside the country, there could be an opening for the administration to take bold, decisive action to weaken Iran’s grip on region. The only question is, with the nuclear deal drifting out of reach, will Biden seize this golden opportunity?

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PaulE
PaulE
3 years ago

Please stop expecting that the Biden administration will show competence or even simply some demonstration of good judgement. It is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. So while there might be a slight opening for something constructive to be done in Iran (leveraging the temporary water crisis into some sort of larger, wholesale uprising and full-blown regime change is a stretch under the best of circumstances), the Biden administration neither has the interest nor the competence to do anything you’re suggesting.

The same team that negotiated the infamous and one-sided Iranian Nuclear Deal under Obama is the exact same team handling the current, frantic rush to get the Mullahs to allow the United States to re-commit itself to the same deal yet again. Even as the Mullahs are boasting they are months away from having the means to build a nuclear weapon. The Iranians know the Biden administration is filled with weak, incompetent personnel, that will continue to grovel before them as the Iranians complete their work on developing a nuclear weapon that can be mounted atop a Chinese provided ICBM. So please AMAC, stop expecting the Biden administration to demonstrate any competence in either foreign or domestic policy.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
3 years ago

Iran & Taliban & Chinese Axis, unless Taliban acts on Chinese abuse of Muslims

CoNMTX
CoNMTX
3 years ago

The Globalists are not “blowing” anything. It’s all going according to plan. Their plan. Destroy Americas military, education system, economy, & religion. Then “build back” socialist and prepare for entry into the one-world governmant.

D.P.
D.P.
3 years ago

No one believes this president has the capacity, along with his co-workers, to take actions that matter. He has never been that kind of polititian or leader. He is at the top of his journey, residing in the Oval office, and any ability to act on a circumstance to the betterment of our nation has never been part of his tool box. Like it or not, he, and his fellow “leaders” are not statesmen….they are polititians, and nothing else. At least President Trump demonstrated a capacity to act with boldness and courage, even while his methods and manner were course and aggravating to many. I didn’t always like how Trump did things, and often wished he would be less vocal about many things that were less important in his tweets and such…..but he had foresight, negotiation skills and gumption. The things needed today, now, in every avenue of the path of this nation. I refer often to three things that must happen at the bottom of all our troubles……term limits (Two Terms) on ALL elected officials. A binding law that demands a balanced budget, period. And strict adherance to the constitution. Anything less will only promote what we now have…..the downward spiral of a nation.

JOHN
JOHN
3 years ago

IRAN is laughing at us and will probably get another Jet Load of American Dollars. He will also lose Taiwan to the Chinese followed by The Philippines and South Korea…..

Paul Brown
Paul Brown
3 years ago

This idiot is doing just what osama the black islamic dictator told him to do, after all he started this crap with iran and set that deal up for them to gain a hand on us.He will lose this country to the communists as osama wants him to.

Karen
Karen
3 years ago

What makes you think that the boob Biden would take advantage of something that is staring him in the face. He’s listening to Obama, because Obama always dreamed of having the Muslims take over the world. Pelosi, Nadler, Schumer, Waters, Schiff are too ignorant not to listen to Obama. They think he is God. FAR FROM IT!!!!! They are going DOWN……Don’t send any water!!!!!! Maybe we’ll get lucky.

sally
sally
3 years ago

with Iran’s taliban friends back in power in Afghanistan why would the Iranians want to deal with us? They have a whole bunch of new military equipment. now the taliban and Iran can march over Iraq and on to other countries.

you stupid moronic tiny brained liberals / democrats / progressives have totally hosed this one up with your voter fraud and lies.

turns out orange man Ggggoooood
Biden / liberals/ democrats / progressives BBbbbbbbbbaaaaaaaad.

Bottom line.

Ron Howard
Ron Howard
3 years ago

Biden Administration has proven to see Iran ( biggest hater of America and largest supporter of Terrorism in the world) as an ally.

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