In some of her strongest foreign policy statements to date, US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would take whatever action was necessary to defend US interests against Iran and would not cozy up to tyrants and dictators.
In November 2019, nationwide protests erupted in Iran after the government unexpectedly tripled fuel prices overnight, sparking widespread outrage across the country. What began as an economic protest quickly escalated into an anti-government movement, with demonstrators in 29 provinces and hundreds of cities voicing their frustration with the Islamic regime.
The government responded by deploying security forces who used live ammunition to suppress the crowds. The crackdown resulted in the deaths of at least 1,500 people, according to Reuters, and a nationwide internet blackout to prevent the world from seeing the full extent of the killings.
In addition, at least 6,000 deaths with "unknown causes" were recorded in November 2019.
These 89 individuals, arrested during the nationwide protests were initially released on bail. Now, years later, they have been dragged back into the judicial system and found guilty by the first investigative branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Likak. Their so-called crimes are "Disrupting public order," "destroying public property," and other charges that the Islamic Republic conveniently uses to silence dissent.
The timing of the sentencing raises questions: why, after five years of silence, has the judiciary suddenly decided to punish the group now, especially amid growing rumors of a potential fuel price hike under President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration?
It is likely that the government wants to send a message: if you dare to challenge the Islamic Republic, you will be hunted down, no matter how much time has passed. The HRANA news agency has published the identities and details of these individuals, a public shaming apparently intended to instill fear in those who might consider taking to the streets in the future.
In Likak, under the direction of Mehrdad Soltani, the judiciary assembled its case against these 89 citizens. The so-called evidence included police videos, intelligence reports, and confessions extracted under dubious circumstances—confessions that are more likely the result of torture than voluntary admissions of guilt.
As Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have reported, the Islamic Republic's use of force during the protests was unprecedented, with the highest death tolls in marginalized regions such as the impoverished towns in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Kermanshah.
Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, sealed the fate of these protesters with his infamous speech on November 17, 2019. Labeling the demonstrators as "thugs, counter-revolutionaries, and enemies," Khamenei not only justified but ordered the crackdown that followed. The message was according to many unambiguous: challenge the regime, and you will be crushed.
Human rights groups and activists have long accused the Islamic Republic’s for using fear as a tool of governance. With the internet blackout and the mass arrests of 2019 still fresh in the collective memory, possibly Tehran is now demonstrating that it has no qualms about revisiting the past to punish those who dared to rise against it.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency or HRANA’s reports suggest that while these people have been convicted, others involved in the same case have been exonerated or had their charges dropped. It is also believed that the selective prosecution serves the Islamic Republic’s broader strategy of creating uncertainty and fear—if you protest, your fate will be decided not by the law, but by the whims of those in power.
Between July 22 and August 21 alone, at least 106 individuals were executed in Iranian prisons, a reminder of the brutal measures the Islamic government has used for four decades despite international criticism, reported the US-based HRANA news agency on Thursday.
“The total number of reported violations indicates a concerning situation and underscores the urgency for the international community and the Iranian government to address these issues,” added HRANA.
The executions have not been limited to those convicted of violent crimes. Many of those hanged were political prisoners, protesters, and individuals from ethnic and religious minority groups, often sentenced in sham trials that lack transparency and due process, the report said.
Among those executed were Kamran Sheikh, a Sunni Kurdish prisoner, and Reza Rasaei, a protester arrested during the 2022 nationwide uprising.
Adding to the toll, at least 10 new death sentences were handed down, and 10 existing ones were confirmed by the judiciary during this period.
HRANA has highlighted how this culture of state-sanctioned violence only fuels further aggression and resentment, laying the groundwork for a cycle of violence that threatens the very fabric of the nation.
According to reports from human rights organizations, since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21) more than 388 people, including 15 women, have been hanged in Iranian prisons.
The surge in executions has not gone unnoticed by the international community. Human rights organizations, including the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights, have raised alarms over the unprecedented pace of executions. They have called for immediate international intervention to halt what they describe as the "killing machine" of the Iranian government.
On August 12, four international human rights organizations appealed to the United Nations, urging the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its actions.
Despite these calls for action, the Islamic Republic remains defiant, continuing its executions unabated. Political prisoners like Golrokh Iraee, who remains incarcerated in Evin Prison, have spoken out against the death penalty, urging a united front against the regime's use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression. Iraee’s plea for the abolition of the death penalty echoes the sentiments of many Iranians who see no hope for a better future under the current system.
In the decisive parliamentary Wednesday vote, Araghchi secured a substantial majority, garnering 247 out of 288 votes from the attending members. Thus, he was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet.
Iran's official news agency, IRNA, on Thursday lauded Araghchi's approval and said his involvement in key diplomatic affairs across the last three administrations "has given him a unique opportunity to create new prospects for the nation's interests while avoiding past mistakes."
However both by his own admission and other evidence, his views do not diverge from the ideology of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Araghchi himself expressed his agenda under the banner of a "Comprehensive, Active, and Impactful Foreign Policy," emphasizing his commitment to "laying the groundwork for enhancing the wealth, power, and stature of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
It's not only Iranian media that have taken note of Araghchi; some Western outlets have also described him with terms such as “seasoned pragmatic diplomat” and “strong negotiator.”
Araghchi’s reputation largely derives from his close association with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former Iranian Foreign Minister and widely regarded architect of the 2015 nuclear deal, later abandoned by then-US President Donald Trump in 2018, leading to the reimposition of sanctions on Iran. Zarif earned a reputation as a diplomat who delivered results.
Beneath the surface of the narratives surrounding Araghchi
Araghchi's diplomatic career extends well beyond his association with the moderate administration of Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif. His involvement in nuclear negotiations dates back to the era of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Additionally, though he served as Zarif's deputy, Araghchi also played a role in the hardline administration of President Ebrahim Raisi, advising Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May along with Raisi.
Regarding the 2015 nuclear deal, Araghchi remarked in an interview in the same year published on Iran's state broadcaster IRIB's website that the nuclear program amounted to a "significant economic loss."
This interview was promptly removed from the site within hours of its publication, with IRIB attributing the deletion to a "misinterpretation error."
Reportedly, during a meeting with IRIB managers, Araghchi said that if Iran were to pursue nuclear weapons, the agreement with global powers would be deemed a "complete failure." Conversely, he asserted that if the focus remained on legitimate international enrichment and a wholly peaceful nuclear program, the agreement would be considered a "great victory."
He further emphasized, "If we were to evaluate our nuclear program solely by economic criteria, it would be a significant loss."
Araghchi was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. While seeking parliamentary approval, he emphasized that his worldview remained steadfast since his IRGC days and made a pointed effort to distance himself from Zarif.
He asserted, "I consider myself a soldier of the Supreme Leader and have strived to remain steadfast on this path," underlining his loyalty. Additionally, he distanced himself from the so-called "New York gang," referring to Zarif and his associates, who Ali Khamenei disfavors.
During his parliamentary address, Pezeshkian disclosed that Araghchi had undergone personal vetting and received Khamenei's direct endorsement.
As part of his plans, Araghchi has also reiterated his commitment to bolstering Iran's "Axis of Resistance," the term used by Iran to describe its regional proxies. He stated emphatically, "We will not lose our way, and unwavering, continuous, and comprehensive support for the cause of Palestine and the Lebanese Resistance, as well as other resistance movements fighting against the oppressive and criminal policies of the Zionist regime, will be at the top of our agenda."
In alignment with Khamenei’s strategic vision, Araghchi also underscored his full support for strengthening alliances with China and Russia. He affirmed, "China, Russia, and other countries that have stood by us during difficult times and sanctions, as well as emerging powers and new arenas in Africa, Latin America, and East Asia, will be priorities in the foreign relations of the fourteenth government.”
Araghchi’s reach may extend beyond the IRGC to the elite Quds Force
In June 2016, statements made by Javad Mansouri, one of the founding commanders of the IRGC and a former Iranian ambassador to China, garnered significant attention due to his claims regarding Araghchi's alleged affiliation with the IRGC's extraterritorial Quds Force.
During an interview with the publication Ramz-e Obour, Mansouri asserted that Araghchi and several other Iranian diplomats were indeed members of the Quds Force. When the interviewer inquired whether Araghchi had a background in the Quds Force and was introduced to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the force, Mansouri unequivocally responded that they were "in fact members of that body."
Following the release of this interview, the state-funded IRNA news agency published a report citing an "informed source" within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who firmly denied Araghchi's involvement with the Quds Force. This unnamed source called Mansouri's assertions "unfounded and contrary to reality."
It remains to be seen how a figure whose public image is pragmatic yet deeply influenced by the IRGC can steer the Islamic Republic through the current sanctions—sanctions imposed due to the very policies he has vowed to uphold.
"I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists," Harris declared, in the toughest statement yet since she emerged as a replacement to President Joe Biden for November.
Formally accepting her party’s nomination Thursday night, Harris said, "In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs," Harris said, accusing Trump of bowing down to dictators.
Government-controlled media in Tehran dubbed Harris's speech "anti-Iran," slightly twisting her words, claiming that the Democratic candidate threatened the Islamic Republic.
However, many foreign policy observers have been warning on social media that if she wins in November, the Harris administration will continue Biden’s relatively “soft” approach toward the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Former President Donald Trump was known for his hardline stance against Tehran, implementing crippling oil export and other sanctions that remain in effect today. However, under President Biden, enforcement of these sanctions has softened, allowing Tehran to significantly boost its oil exports and revenues.
One Iranian opposition figure in the United States tweeted after Harris’s speech, “The Harris-Biden administration had over three and a half years to take a tough stance against the Islamic regime in Iran. Instead, by abandoning Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy and failing to enforce sanctions,” they allowed Tehran to sell more oil. He added that the White House also released $16 billion in frozen funds for Iran in 2023.
As Harris prepared to deliver her speech at the Democratic convention, five Republican senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the White House to deny visas to several foreign leaders, including Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York this September.
The letter signed by Senators Marco Rubio, Joni Ernst, Rick Scott, Markwayne Mullin and Tom Cotton, called Pezeshkain and Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel, and “the narcodictator of Venezuela,” Nicolas Maduro Cuban dictator, V “raises serious security issues for the United States and our allies.”
The letter said, “Iran is directly responsible for the horrific October 7th attack on Israel and the recent rocket strikes that killed a dozen innocent Israelis, including children, at a soccer field in the Golan Heights.”
The senators maintained that although the United Nations General Assembly is a diplomatic forum, the US should take a stand against foreign leaders “who threaten our values.”
“President Ronald Reagan denied a visa to Yasser Arafat in 1988 due to his support for state-sponsored terrorism, and President Trump similarly denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. In this spirit, we urge you to deny entry visas to dictators Pezeshkian, Díaz-Canel, Maduro and any other leaders whose presence at the UN General Assembly would undermine our national security,” the Republicans lawmakers stated.
