By  Brandon Turbeville

The signs that the protests in Iran are indeed a Western destabilization campaign are growing with each passing day. Regardless of whatever legitimacy these protests may have had at the beginning (agitation for greater freedoms and improved methods of handling the economy, etc.), they have now devolved into an attempt to weaken and unseat the current Iranian government. With pro-Western foreign policy demands and vague calls being made against the fabric of the government itself in addition to shadowy shooters and violent assaults on security, government, and even opposition members, a number of actors involved in the protests are emerging which suggest a coordinated Western/Israeli/GCC color revolution/destabilization operation.

The Involvement Of MEK

A recent piece by Newsweek entitled, “Iran Protests: Who Are The Iranian Opposition And Who Will Rule If The Regime Falls?” attempts to paint a picture of the opposition marching through the streets in Iran and, more importantly, what factions of Iranian society that might take power if something did occur to overthrow the Iranian government. One of the factions mentioned by Newsweek is the MEK (Mujhadeen al-Khalq), the radical Marxist extremist organization that has not only been at odds with the religious dictatorship of the Ayatollah but who has also collaborated with the Israelis on numerous occasions, including the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists. The MEK was previously listed as a terrorist organization by the United States but delisted by the Obama administration.

Newsweek’s Callum Paton writes,

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), or People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran, has proven popular with many in the corridors of power in Washington and in European capitals.

The MEK has found supporters in the GOP from backers like Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich but also from Democratic figures such as former Florida Governor Howard Dean. In January 2017, Reuters reported, the group’s backers asked President Donald Trump to open a dialogue with the MEK.

While many in Washington may support the group in its ambition to overthrow the regime in Iran, it has courted controversy since the 1970s. The MEK supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, pursuing a guerilla war against the Shah, but then parted ways with the revolution in 1981, vowing to topple the Islamic Republic. From 1997 to 2012, and after the group formed an alliance with Saddam Hussein, the MEK was designated a terrorist group by the State Department.

During this week’s protests, Maryam Rajavi, MEK’s leader, pledged her solidarity with the demonstrators, saying in a statement to Newsweek: “This uprising has tolled the death knell for the overthrow of the totally corrupt dictatorship of the mullahs, and is the rise of democracy, justice and popular sovereignty.”

Some of the MEK’s banners have been seen at demonstrations in Iran, but the group remains deeply divisive inside the country. It also remains the perpetual boogey man of the regime. Iranian State television reported Friday, according to the Associated Press, that three MEK members were arrested 185 miles southwest of Tehran for engaging in sabotage.

Old Monarchs

Newsweek also writes about another lesser known faction waiting in the wings for the collapse of the Iranian government, i.e. the old Western-supported monarchists who were installed in Iran after the tragic U.S.-orchestrated coup against Mohammed Mosadegh.

Paton reports,

But among the most surprising slogans heard in the streets of Iran were those calling for the reinstatement of the Pahlavi monarchy, ousted in 1979.

Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi, who fled Iran with his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former shah, has seized upon what appears to be at least some support for his return.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, the prince suggested a form of constitutional monarchy would offer stability in Iran following the collapse of the Islamic Republic.

“Who then do you think people are chanting for today? I think they realize I am a person they can trust, a person they can recognize that has a particular political capital associate with this name. They attribute it to the modernity and progress that Iran had,” he said.

The crown prince has said he is not a monarchist and instead a democrat, but he ruled out returning to Iran until his safety can be assured. While he may have seen some smattering of support in recent days, this is most likely because of support among younger protesters who have no memory of pre-revolution Iran.

The Tehran-based intelligentsia that would have to back any meaningful revolution against the current regime would be unlikely to support his cause.

This faction is perhaps more important because, while the MEK could provide the cover for violence and terror and one of the physical fists being used by the West in its destabilization campaign, the monarchists could stand as the “government in exile” and the new puppet government after the Iranian government’s fall. Clearly, however, as Paton alludes to, support for the Shah is so low that foreign powers would have to force him upon the population for a second time since those who remember his rule do not remember it fondly and those younger generations who do desire legitimate change in Iran are not likely to willingly regress into monarchy.

It is important to note that the individuals who took part in the 2009 Green Movement color revolution are not a part of the current movement, with many Iranians questioning who the protesters are in the first place. A massive air of mystery surrounds the participants as some Iranians are even questioning whether or not the individuals in the streets are themselves from Iran.

Support Of US, Israel, US Sanctions

The United States has been the most vocal support of unrest in Iran, even to the point of acting out in the United Nations General Assembly to the point where bystander nations began asking if this behavior was even appropriate in the UN chambers. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly encouraged the protesters and pledged support for them at the “appropriate time.” US Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has continued making a fool of herself and the United States in her childish tirades against Iran. Likewise, Israel has repeatedly stated support for the protesters with Benjamin Netanyahu, fresh in the middle of committing a genocide against the Palestinian people, making videos of support circulating far and wide on the Internet.

The United States has gone even further that simple tweets, however. Approaching a deadline for a decision on whether or not to renew the Iran nuclear deal, the U.S. has slapped sanctions on five subsidiaries of Iranian Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group.

As Carol Morello of the Washington Post writes,

The United States on Thursday placed sanctions on five subsidiaries of an Iranian industrial group that is considered key in the development and production of the country’s ballistic missiles.

The sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an arm of the Treasury Department, targeted companies that are owned or controlled by the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, an Iranian defense entity that already is under U.S. sanctions.

. . . . .

The latest sanctions were directed at Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Sanikhani Industries, Shahid Moghaddam Industries, Shahid Eslami Research Center and Shahid Shustari Industries, all linked to Shahid Bakeri. Each produces a specific component of ballistic missiles, such as guidance and control systems, motor cases or fiber materials.

As the report mentions, the stated reason for the sanctions was an attempt to hinder the Iranian ballistic missile program, a separate issue from the alleged nuclear program.

Iran Claims CIA, Saudi Support For Protests

The Iranian government seems convinced the protests are the handiwork of the CIA and the Mossad. Iran’s Chief Prosecutor, Mohammad Jaffar Montazeri has even pointed out what he refers to as Consequential Convergence Doctrine, the label he is applying to the planning for the operation unfolding in Iran today. Montazeri claims that both the CIA and Mossad were involved in the plot while Saudi Arabia handled all the funding. (See Al Jazeera – Iran Prosecutor Blames CIA, Israel, Saudi For Protests)

Israel’s Mossad Chief, Yossi Cohen, stated in a closed session of the Israeli Finance Ministry that “We have eyes and ears, even in Iran,” hinted that Israeli spies are currently operating on the ground inside the Persian country.

Both the United States and Israel have admitted to a plan to “deal with Iran’s regional influence.” The protests taking place in Iran are taking place only a month after the White House and Tel Aviv met to discuss a strategy on Iran. “A delegation led by Israel’s National Security Adviser met with senior American officials in the White House earlier this month for a joint discussion on strategy to counter Iran’s aggression in the Middle East, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Haaretz,” wrote Haaretz agency. (Israeli Delegation Met U.S. Officials to Discuss ‘Iran Strategy,’ Syria)

AXIOS provides a quote from the meeting:

[T]he U.S. and Israel see eye to eye the different developments in the region and especially those that are connected to Iran. We reached at understandings regarding the strategy and the policy needed to counter Iran. Our understandings deal with the overall strategy but also with concrete goals, way of action and the means which need to be used to get obtain those goals.

Conclusion

It is relatively clear that whatever legitimate demands the protesters were making early on the in protests were quickly co-opted in favor of an agenda that would ultimately work against the people of Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. It is also becoming more and more clear that the protests are an attempt to sow the seeds of destabilization in Iran in order to weaken the country. Signs also point toward an attempt to create yet another war zone full of chaos and war as it was created in Syria and Libya. If the United States is to avert yet another tragic situation in the Middle East, it must immediately cease support for any disruption in Iran and end its cooperation with the Zionist settler state.

Brandon Turbeville writes for Activist Post – article archive here – He is the author of seven books, Codex Alimentarius — The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident, volume 1 and volume 2, The Road to Damascus: The Anglo-American Assault on Syria, The Difference it Makes: 36 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President, and Resisting The Empire: The Plan To Destroy Syria And How The Future Of The World Depends On The Outcome. Turbeville has published over 1000 articles on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville’s radio show Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. His website is BrandonTurbeville.com He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.

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