The Iran National Council, in accordance with clause No. 7 of its own charter, universally opposes and condemns the death penalty as an instrument of state policy. Hence, in response to the Islamic Republic’s violent reaction to the execution of a Saudi citizen by the Saudi government, we would like to remind the Islamic Republic that just in the past year alone, more than one thousand Iranians were executed by the regime, and Hassan Rohani’s government now holds this dubious record.

An attack on another nation’s embassy is tantamount to the violation of that country’s territorial sovereignty, and only a regime that lacks both domestic and international legitimacy would behave in such a shameless and barbaric way. Only a pariah state would be so lawless as to allow an attack on a defenseless embassy and its diplomats. The Islamic Republic also holds this dubious record as well. The Iran National Council strongly condemns this organized and pre-planned attack on the Saudi embassy by elements of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus and mob, also known as the militia in civilian clothes. Furthermore, only terrorist governments and organizations such as the Taliban and the Islamic Republic have a history of such illegal attacks against the embassies of other nations. It bears reminding that the people of Iran are still paying the price for this regime’s history of attacking other nation’s embassies, and in particular the attack on the US embassy and the taking of hostages. The Islamic Republic since its inception in 1979 has been involved in attacking the US embassy, the British embassy and the Saudi embassy, some more than once, which demonstrates that the regime does not have the capacity to be reformed and will not change its nature. By the end of Ahmadinejad’s corrupt and plundering presidency, the regime’s crisis of legitimacy had increased. This coupled with new international sanctions and an increasing economic recession which threatened the very existence of the regime, forced the rulers of this theocracy to take new measures in order to prolong their hold on power a little longer. Their answer was the installment of Hassan Rohani and his plan for a nuclear agreement. As this plan has also failed, and Iran’s economy is on the verge of total collapse, and all of the regime’s domestic and international policies have failed, the regime has once again resorted to its old and tried policy of confrontation and crisis creation.

Hassan Rohani, the so called president of the Islamic Republic, by condemning the Saudi embassy attack is trying to deny responsibility or knowledge for the attack on the Saudi embassy, yet it was he who claimed victory and responsibility for the nuclear agreement. This begs the question as to how can Hassan Rohani claim to be the decision maker for the nuclear agreement, but the president of the Islamic Republic had no knowledge of, or responsibility, for the security forces’ attack on the Saudi embassy? The Iran National Council would like to point out that the regime in Iran believes its very existence and continuation of its theocracy is dependent on the creation and fanning of regional crises and instability. While only four decades ago, because of our warm and constructive relations with Pakistan and Turkey, both nations were partners in the multi-lateral Central Treaty Organization with Iran, today, they are considered Saudi Arabia’s allies and Pakistan has gone so far as to threaten the Islamic Republic with military action. Four decades ago, Iran was considered an island of stability and its name and reputation was synonymous with regional and global peace initiatives. Key regional powers such as Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and the Persian Gulf states had excellent relations with Iran. Alas, today Iran is synonymous with international terror, war, conflict and regional instability and interference; and global peace advocates consider our beloved nation as the main instigator of regional instability and conflict. We deem it necessary to stress that the current regime’s policy of instigating conflict is against the national interest of the Iranian people, and that the Iran National Council firmly believes that the future stability and long term economic, social and security interests of the Iranian people requires good and constructive relations with our regional and global neighbors and community.

The Iran National Council believes that religious sectarianism among the Shia and Sunni can only lead to further fracture the troubling historical schism which can lead to conflict with our neighbors and threaten our territorial integrity and national security. Let us bear in mind that even when the Islamic Republic has been dissolved and a democratic government comes to power, the people of Iran may still have to answer for the policies of the previous regime. This is because all the acts and policies against international law and principles that are currently being committed by this regime are being done in the name of the people and Iran, and not in the name of the regime alone. And when it is time for the regime’s leaders to flee, it is the people that are left with their legacy of terror and conflict. It is important to remember that the responsibility for the illegal actions of this regime is not on the shoulders of its leaders alone, and the unbearable price that will need to be paid will be paid by the people of Iran. Therefore we must refrain from silence and not allow this regime’s illegal and fractious policies to further harm and injure our nation, its people and her future generations.