Next supreme leader must not play into anti-Iran US propaganda, say reformists | US-Israel war on Iran

A dwindling alliance of reformist groups in the country has said Tehran should appoint a religious leader who will both challenge US propaganda that Iran is a warmongering country and reduce polarization within the country.

The Reform Front, which helped Masoud Pezeshkian become president 18 months ago, argued that attacks on non-military US assets in the region had diminished global support for Iran, which has been the victim of blatant aggression, according to comments in a report by the Iranian newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad.

According to the report, the Reform Front said, “The election of the new leadership of the regime can send a message of peace and friendship to the world and thus strengthen anti-war protests on the global stage.” “[It] It should also give the message that a new era has begun in Iran; “It is a period that promises the participation of all kinds of political and civil tastes and tendencies in the governance of the country.”

He added that the regime’s attempt to rely on only one part of society to win the war would be “a huge and unforgivable mistake.” The group did not name a favorite candidate or name anyone it believed would hinder national unity. The selection of the leader is made by a board consisting of 88 experts. Currently, the government is led by an interim tripartite council.

Widespread reports suggest that Donald Trump is against the idea of ​​Ali Khamenei’s son, Mujtaba Khamenei, succeeding him as religious leader.

Reformers said it was imperative to release political prisoners and civil activists through a general amnesty. They said that society can only remain resilient in a war against an enemy with “the most advanced military and information technologies” if there is national unity and solidarity.

Although reformists are a weakened force within Iran, criticism voiced in the context of defending the homeland is one of the few signs of internal debate about how the country can end its international isolation and whether attacks on Gulf states would be counterproductive.

There were reports of widespread release of prominent political prisoners, but it was later suggested that the only prisoner released was senior reformist politician Ali Shakouri-Rad. He was arrested last month, just days after the leak of a private meeting in which he accused security agencies of deliberately escalating and even staging violence, including allegations of murder, among their own ranks to justify a sweeping crackdown on protests in January. He is having medical problems.

The Reform Front statement stated that there are “legitimate national figures who are trusted and respected by civil society and international forums, who are able to communicate with international circles within the framework of public diplomacy and encourage them to be more active in the global condemnation of this aggression.”

Arguing that Iran should withdraw regional and global support and cooperation, the article said: “Expanding the attacks on US military bases and spreading them to the political centers affiliated with this government in the countries of the region and not distinguishing between the two will remove Iran from the position of oppressed and victim of aggression, will cause the inevitable reaction of the regional governments and their participation in the global consensus against Iran, and as a result, will reduce our diplomatic capacity to end the war.”

The following statements were included in the statement: “After the war, Iran will no longer be the Iran of the past.”

He also called on “all components of Iranian society (Turks, Kurds, Lors, Arabs, Baluchis, Turkmens, Persians, etc.) to defend Iran’s national identity, independence and territorial integrity by relying on Iranian wisdom and understanding, recognizing ethnic and cultural diversity and respecting each other’s beliefs.”

Reformists add that opportunities have been missed by ignoring the advice given by prominent reformist leader Sayyed Mohammad Khatami and the Reform Front itself last summer.

While the group fully condemned the US-Israeli aggression, it also stated that Iran would be in a stronger position in terms of diplomatic and social harmony if calls for the release of political prisoners after the 12-day war last summer were heeded.

The Reform Front, whose leadership was recently the subject of mass arrests by security forces, said in a statement: “There should be no doubt that Israel’s goal in this blatant attack is to destroy the country’s entire defense capabilities and infrastructure, overthrow the regime, and then lead to chaos, civil war and the disintegration of the country.”

Pezeshkian’s son Yousef said that the government must decide what it wants the ideal post-war scenario to be, because this will determine “the decisions that are made, the operations that we conduct and the words that we say.”

He openly discussed the factors that would determine the outcome of the war, saying the key consideration was whether Iran had “resilience.” [will] be bigger [that of] This will partly depend on the issue of weapons stockpiles.

State-linked Iranian television channels and websites focus primarily on stated military successes or civilian deaths by security forces; Little is published about the damage to Iranian missile launchers and security apparatus.