In tonight’s program of Behind the Headlines:
People of south of Iran are still struggling to survive as water shortage has gripped the province of Khuzestan, while the atmosphere of bazaar in Tehran remains tense.
Meanwhile the unrealistic threats of the commanders of the Revolutionary Guard to shut the Strait of Hormuz raises the question of what next for the suffering Iranian people?
We discuss these topics with our guests, Alireza Nourizadeh and Hassan Shariatmadari.
Jamshid Chalangi:
Iranians do not have water to drink but the regime is still focused on achieving nuclear energy.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
The regime has lost all its credits when we see that two Iraqi citizens send a letter to Khamenei and thank him for providing Iraq with clean drinking water, while across the border millions of Iranians are dying of thirst as the waters of Karoon river has been pumped into Iraq to bribe Iraqis to raise Khamenei’s posters outside Iranian consulate and shout slogans in his support.
When you watch a documentary made by Mohammad Nourizad about the shantytowns of people in Baluchestan of Iran, you feel ashamed of yourself as you compare it with the luxury apartments that the regime has built for the Hezbollah of Lebanon.
How can you tell the people of Baluchestan to remain Iranian and do not think of separating from our united country?
People in the province of Khuzestan lie on an ocean of oil but do not have water to drink.
Hassan Shariatmadari:
It is outrageous that one of the richest provinces of our country does not have water for its people while their drinking water is being “exported” to Iraq by regime’s officials just to buy political support for the corrupt rulers of Iran. This means we must urgently get rid of this destructive regime as every day that is parasitic life is extended a new calamity will be brought upon our people.
The so-called reformists who are in fact after the survival of this corrupt regime keep telling us that we must still go through elections and ballot boxes and not come onto the streets and seek the overthrow of the regime, as Iran will become another Syria.
What they really mean is that if the Iranian people want to get rid of this regime for a better life and freedom, the reformists will back the Revolutionary Guard and stand up to the Iranian people.
The younger reformists are still more honest and progressive, but their older leaders are corrupt and have no intention of bringing change to Iran.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
The lack of a clear leadership for our opposition forces is a major factor for the continuation of this regime. The Iranian people have risen to end this regime and arrests and executions will not stop them.
Hassan Shariatmadari:
The regime does not have any economic plan and instead is begging the Europeans to help them. But the Europeans do not and cannot have an economic plan for a country whose regime is rejected by its people. The regime is trying to put a wedge between Europe and US but the Europeans are with US when it comes to issues of the regime’s terrorist activities and missile program.