Iranian opposition activist and former political prisoner Vahid Beheshti spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about his recent call for the USA to face the Iranian threat directly.
He began with the events that led him to address the Middle East Forum in Congress: “I am the first Iranian who gave a speech in the Israeli Knesset. When I was in Israel, I had many meetings with different decision-makers, and after that, I decided to travel to DC to let them know about the existential threat of the Iranian regime. It is no longer to Israel, but to the West, to Europe, and to the USA. I had many meetings with different offices in Congress and the Senate about the Iranian threat and how we can defeat and counter the existential threat of this evil regime.”
His experience fighting Iran is painfully firsthand. “I spoke about this because I felt it. I know this regime. I've been fighting this regime for the past 18 years. I studied this regime. I paid a lot, I sacrificed a lot, so if you don't know the nature of this regime, if you don't know their principle, if you don't know their goals, if you don't know their fundamentality, you cannot defeat them, you cannot confront them. , so you have to know them.”
Vahid explains what it is the world needs to know: “The nature of this regime is that its goal is to turn the modern world into an Islamic caliphate. It doesn't matter what kind of negotiation you go through with them, they are moving toward that goal step by step.”
He also exposes some of the strategies Iran is using. “Look at the influence of the Iranian regime in American and European society. All these so-called charities and Islamic centers are mostly brainwashing our youth to radicalize them and turn them into the enemy of our values. Look at the groups influencing our policymakers by misinforming them, and the results these policymakers come up with, which are in favor of the regime. Look at all these cyber attacks on our strategic companies and infrastructure in Europe and in America. Look at this hostage-taking policy, leaving us paralyzed for forty years, forced to sit around one table and negotiate with them and provide funds to them.”
Vahid partly blames Western leaders: “This is not because they are strong, but because we are weak. Our policies in Europe and America are wrong. If and when everyone understands what should be done differently, we will come back to Israel. Israel is the only country that understands this regime and how to confront them.”
He gives a recent example: “The attack in Damascus was the most precise and effective measure that could be taken. Iranian people were celebrating. I was talking to different groups in different cities yesterday, and they were welcoming this kind of strike from Israel.”
Vahid gave an analysis of Iran's strategy: “I call it the octopus of terrorism. They are experts in proxy war, in influencing our societies, brainwashing our youth, and making it look like they are strong and in control of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and the whole region.”
He specified the problem with Iran's strategy: “They have a weak point, and it is inside of Iran, where they have no legitimacy. While I was in Israel, I said we should attack them inside Iran, because the Iranian people would welcome that and finish the job for us. They hung two banners from in Tehran, they hung the Israeli flag in Tehran. They will do the job for us, for the lowest price. We don't need to invade the countries - instead target its nuclear sites, the IRGC, the leaders, and then see how the Iranian people, who are thirsty for freedom and democracy, finish the job this time for us. The Iranian people are a great military of 80 million people. I told this to every decision-maker I met.”
He focused on the response to the Damascus attack: “They were dancing in the streets in Iran. They know that we are just a few steps away from attacking the Iranian regime inside of Iran. We have two choices: help Iranians, or wait and give the opportunity to this evil regime to access nuclear weapons.”
A nuclear Iran, Vahid claims, would be an even greater threat than if North Korea were to attain nuclear weapons. “North Korea is completely different from Iran. North Korea would have nuclear weapons only to protect themselves, but if the Iranian regime gained access to nuclear weapons, they would use them straight away, and the first state they will target is Israel.
“Israel itself has nuclear weapons, so then it's going to be nuclear war. To avoid this nuclear war, we have to destroy the Iranian regime by providing military support for the Iranian people inside of Iran.
“To be clear, I am not calling for carpet bombing Iran and killing innocent Iranians. I'm calling for targeting IRGC assets, the nuclear sites, and the house of high officials inside of Iran. This is the military support that I am asking for. The Iranian people are asking for this, and will finish the job inside of Iran.”
He offers a warning for the future: “We have these two choices in front of us. We are on the brink of catastrophe, so we have to be aware. That's why I am traveling everywhere. I went through 72 days of a hunger strike and lived in the street for one year, campaigning in front of Foreign Ministries to sanction the IRGC. I risked my life twice only this year, once in a hunger strike, and the second time after October 7th, in London, when 300 pro-Hamas terrorist supporters. It was all over the news because I had the flag of Israel on my tent. They broke the flag and took it, then I went to them and got the flag back, and then they attacked me. Without approximately 130 police officers in London, I wouldn't be here today talking to you. That's how I understand the level of the existential threat of the Iranian regime.
“I am doing everything I can to fight them, to let the policymakers know about this threat, and I tell them that the only way at this time is to help Israel to give the necessary support to the Iranian people to finish the head of this octopus.”
He countered accusations that he had not actually been in Iran's opposition. “The regime knows I am targeting the Achilles heel of the regime, and I am the only one who's claiming the only way to get rid of this regime is to provide military support for the Iranian people. The Iranian people hung banners in Iran in Tehran mentioning my name as their voice. Politicians whenever they are have been communicating with me. They attack me and they're trying to discredit me, but achieve completely the opposite effect - they are constantly promoting me. People from everywhere want my opinion and analysis about this because they understand now how accurate I am. I know this regime and the only way to fight it. We had many uprisings since 2009, and the Iranian regime is still a brutal, barbaric regime. We all saw the level of brutality and barbarity on October 7th, and the only way to get rid of them is Israel. They attack me and try to discredit me, but all just work in my favor.”