Trump must not abandon his promise to people of Iran as collapse of Tehran deal looms - editorial

An editorial argues that the United States must not abandon its promises to the Iranian people, especially as the potential collapse of the Tehran deal looms. Six months after President Donald Trump urged "Iranian Patriots" to protest and "save the names of the killers and abusers," the editorial states they deserve more than silence, bargaining, and regret.

The piece criticizes the international focus on the economic and diplomatic implications of US-Iran relations, such as oil markets, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, or convenience for the White House. It contends that amid this "diplomatic churn and economic analysis," the actual victims of the Islamic Republic – the women, students, workers, and young people protesting against a regime that has impoverished and oppressed them – have been marginalized.

These Iranians, the editorial asserts, are intimately familiar with Iran's prisons, morality police, Revolutionary Guards, and propaganda machine. The January protests, which began with economic grievances, evolved into a broader struggle for sovereignty, dignity, and the right of Iranians to control their own country. The editorial expresses shame at the world's "relative quiet" and condemns governments and commentators who allow Tehran to frame the freedom struggle as foreign agitation or reduce it to mere sanctions and negotiation tactics.

Ultimately, the editorial warns that the answer to Iran's economic suffering is not to rescue the regime responsible for it. It highlights reports from rights watch groups in January detailing mass killings by Iranian security forces and thousands of casualties, underscoring the high stakes for those seeking change.