By Mehdi Mirghaderi – April 24, 2025
With the beginning of President Trump’s second term, the idea of opening negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran has resurfaced. This has sparked concern—not just among Iranians, but also among Israelis, Iraqis, Syrians, and many others across the Middle East who have suffered directly or indirectly from the regime’s destructive policies.
Given the Islamic Republic’s history—its interference in the 2020 U.S. election and attempts to assassinate President Trump and others it labels “enemies”—many expected a forceful stance. Instead, talks have begun. As an Iranian political activist who lived 27 years under this regime, I can attest that any negotiation is a grave miscalculation.
Since the Islamist-Marxist takeover of 1979, the regime has stood firmly on three pillars:
  1. Hostility Toward America and Israel From the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis to the chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” heard just last week, the regime’s narrative hasn’t changed. These state-orchestrated rallies aren’t spontaneous. No group in Iran can protest or demonstrate without the regime’s direct authorization.
  2. Enforced Hijab and Gender Oppression The 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini’s death showed the regime’s obsession with compulsory hijab. Hundreds were killed, blinded, or imprisoned to defend this oppressive rule. It’s not just a law—it’s a core pillar of ideological control.
  3. Deliberate Impoverishment of the People Despite Iran’s vast resources—second-largest gas reserves, third-largest oil, extensive mineral wealth—the regime keeps its people poor. Like communist regimes of the past, it ensures people are too busy surviving to fight for freedom.
These three pillars are existential to the regime. Dismantling even one would threaten its survival. So believing that Iran will make an honest deal with the U.S. is dangerously naïve. Any negotiation is just a stalling tactic.
The Real Goal: Buying Time Shi’a theocratic doctrine, as interpreted by Iran’s ruling clerics, embraces deception in warfare. “Buying time” is a known tactic. If America thinks it is gaining leverage, the regime sees these talks as an opportunity to build weapons and prepare for confrontation.
I remember in 2003, during the Bam earthquake, some professors speculated that nuclear testing in Iran’s deserts might have triggered the quake. That’s how long Iran has allegedly pursued nuclear capabilities.
The events after October 7th are also revealing. Hundreds of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel weren’t symbolic. Without Israel’s defense systems and allied support, civilian casualties and devastation would have followed. A regime that guns down its own youth in the streets will not hesitate to kill those it deems infidels abroad.
Why Is Iran Sitting at the Table Now? Two reasons:
  1. U.S. military pressure—the presence of aircraft carriers and strategic threats forced Tehran’s hand.
  2. Psychological warfare against Iranians—after Trump’s elimination of Qassem Soleimani, many Iranians saw him as a hero. By dragging Trump into talks, the regime hopes to demoralize its opposition by saying, “Even Trump is with us now.”
The Choice Ahead A deal with the Islamic Republic is not progress—it’s a setback. If the talks fail, it wastes time. If they succeed, it legitimizes a regime that holds its own people and the region hostage.
My message to President Trump is simple: End this game. Don’t let the clerics stall for time. You don’t need to bomb nuclear facilities. Follow Israel’s lead—neutralize key figures at the top. The people of Iran will handle the rest.
Once the leadership crumbles, Iranians will rise, and the world will finally be free from the grip of this reactionary regime.