A group of more than 500 Iranian American scientists, scholars and engineers, on Tuesday urged US President Joe Biden Tuesday to not remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the list of foreign terrorist organizations as nuclear talks stall, Fox News reports.
Iran has demanded sanction relief and the removal of its top military branch from the US list of designated terrorist groups as a condition for its return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
The letter, led by University of Connecticut professor and dean of the School of Engineering, Kazem Kazerounian, and signed by another 501 Iranian officials, says the IRGC not only "safeguards" Iran’s dictatorship but impedes any progress of human rights advancements.
Kazerounian argued the nuclear talks should not only be about ensuring nuclear stability but should also target issues surrounding human rights.
"When you look at the ongoing anti-regime protests inside Iran, they want this regime gone. This regime is weak, lacks legitimacy, and the main opposition, the MEK, is gaining ground inside Iran," he told Fox News on Tuesday. "We must look at Tehran’s issue more holistically for the sake of world peace and stability."
The Iranian professor said the real issue lies in his belief that Iran will not stop until it acquires a nuclear weapon – whether or not there is an international deal barring its development.
"We insist on holding Tehran accountable beyond the nuclear issue and have asked President Biden to stand with the people of Iran in their quest for freedom," he added.
Last month it was reported that the Biden administration is considering removing terrorism sanctions from the IRGC as part of negotiations to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The Pentagon's top general recently said he was opposed to removing the IRGC from the US terror group list.
The Washington Postreported last week that the Biden administration plans to reject the Iranian demand.