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We begin tonight’s edition of A Window to the Fatherland with Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh reading one of his poems from the book of his collected works.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
We continue the program with first remembering the late Iranian poet Ahmad Shamloo on the anniversary of his death, as well as paying tribute to the works andlife of the legendary Iranian musician and songwriter Anoushirvan Rouhani on his birthday.
We will also talk about how the Zoroastrian Sepanta Niknam’s membership of the city of Yazd municipality as a councilor has been reinstated, following widespread opposition to the disgraceful decision by the Expediency Council dismissing his election on his religious beliefs.
We continue the program with watching the video clip of Mike Pompeo’s speech of last night at a gathering of Iranian-Americans, which can be summarized in one short sentence that “the United States of America hears the voices of the Iranian people and supports their struggle against their regime”.
Mr Pompeo told an audience of about a thousand people: “Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government” and accused Tehran of squandering the wealth of its people.
He added: “The regime in Iran has been a nightmare for the Iranian people. The Trump administration dreams the same dream that the Iranian diaspora does… this dream will come true”.
Mr Pompeo accused the Iranian regime of being controlled by ideologues, of running on dictatorial methods at home and spreading “a campaign of violence abroad.”
He mentioned the high levels of corruption within the Iranian leadership where “the average Hezbollah fighter who receives a salary from the regime makes two to three times what an Iranian fire fighter makes in the streets of Iran”, adding that “a third of Iranian youth are unemployed while the regime fills its own pocket.”
Mr Pompeo singled out the corruption of Sadegh Larijani, the head of Iranian judiciary, sanctioned by the US and whose net worth he said is “at least $300 million.”
“The Ayatollahs are more concerned with riches than religion” the US chief diplomat said, accusing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself of running his “own personal hedge fund worth $90 billion, untaxed, used as a slush fund for the Revolutionary Guards.”
Asked if the Trump administration would ever engage the Iranian leadership, Mr Pompeo hinted that Washington would be “willing to have a conversation” but only if the leadership in Iran makes a strategic decision of undertaking “tangible and meaningful change.”
He added that “if we can get the leadership to change…we are prepared to make this conversation…but not until irreversible change happens.”
Mr Pompeo said the goal of the Trump policy is to deny Iran “funds for instability”, referencing Iran’s cyber-attacks, threats to Persian Gulf security, and the latest terror plot that was exposed in Vienna.
Mr Pompeo also announced that the US government was launching a 24/7 Persian language TV channel to reach Iranians. He also commended the courage of those protesting in the country since last December.
Also last night, US President Donald Trump sent a sharp warning to Iran afterHassan Rouhani cautioned Trump “not to play with fire” in pursuing his Iran policy.
Rouhani had said: “War with Iran is the mother of all wars.” But he did not rule out peace between the two countries.
In his Tweet to Rouhani president Trump has said:
NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
