Brian Hook: The Iranian people are tired of spending their money on proxy wars

On Tuesday, December 9, the US special representative for Iran said, referring to the November protests, that the Iranian people are tired of spending their money on proxy wars.

Brian Hook said on Tuesday, December 9, at a meeting of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies that the maximum pressure campaign on the Islamic Republic follows the same demands of the Iranian people and calls on Iranian officials to prioritize their people, not ideology.

He emphasized that after the defeat of ISIS, the Islamic Republic is the biggest cause of instability in the Middle East.

According to Mr. Hook, for this reason, maximum pressure from the United States will continue until this government becomes a normal government or witnesses its collapse.

The US special representative is referring to Iran's involvement in the wars in Syria and Yemen. The Islamic Republic is also accused of interfering in the internal affairs of regional countries and disrupting peace and stability in the Middle East.

In another part of his speech, the US special representative for Iran said that US diplomatic proposals are still on the table and that proposals have also been made by France, Japan, Oman, and Pakistan, but the Islamic Republic has abandoned all diplomatic options.

He said that the United States wants Iran to respond to diplomacy with diplomacy, not hostile actions, but the Iranian leader continues to make wrong choices.

The United States, which withdrew from the JCPOA in May last year and has imposed severe sanctions on Iran, is calling for negotiations with Tehran to reach a new agreement on its nuclear and missile programs and Iran's role in the region.

The leaders of the Islamic Republic, especially Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have rejected any negotiations with Arica and especially the Donald Trump administration.

In another part of his statement, Brian Hook called the November protests "the deadliest protests" in Iran in the past forty years.

He once again announced that the number of people killed in these protests may exceed a thousand, including 13- and 14-year-olds.

The US representative for Iran also said that "shooting money" was taken from the families of the victims.

Mr. Hook also referred to the killing of protesters in the Mahshahr reeds, saying that more than 100 people had been killed and that "the bodies of the dead were then dumped in trucks and transported."

He also referred to the arrest of seven thousand people in the November protests in Iran and added that the State Department has concluded that human rights violations in Fashafoyeh and Qarchak prisons should be condemned and has also announced this to Congress.

Mr. Hook pointed out the overcrowding of the wards, the lack of hygiene, the presence of rats, and the rape of prisoners in Fashafoyeh Prison.

He also said that Qarchak Prison, as the largest women's prison, houses religious minorities.

Mr. Hook added that the United States calls for the release of all political prisoners in Iran.

The US representative for Iran stressed: "It is time for all countries to stand with the Iranian people, isolate the Islamic Republic government, and sanction the regime's officials."

He also said that there is a consensus among both American parties that the behavior of the Islamic Republic government is cruel and unacceptable.

Mr. Hook had previously said that the Islamic Republic's security and law enforcement forces have killed more than a thousand protesters since the protests against the increase in gasoline prices began.

On December 6, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the protests in Iran were an indication that the Islamic Republic was under increasing pressure.

"Successful exchange" of two prisoners between Iran and the United States

The US representative for Iran also considered the exchange of two prisoners a success for both sides and a sign that there is a path to negotiation.

Mr. Hook expressed hope that negotiations for a prisoner exchange would continue, including the release of Bob Levinson, who has been imprisoned in Iran for the longest time.

The Iranian Foreign Minister and government spokesman announced their readiness to exchange all Iranian and American prisoners.

Xiao Wang, an American prisoner in Iran, was exchanged on December 6 for Masoud Soleimani, a stem cell researcher and faculty member at Tarbiat Modares University, who was detained in the United States.

The Iranian Foreign Minister and government spokesman have announced their readiness to exchange all Iranian and American prisoners. Earlier, White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said that the United States is willing to continue talks to release American prisoners in Iran.

Mr. Hook also referred to the former US Secretary of State's remarks and said that the United States wants a comprehensive agreement with the Islamic Republic that includes all issues, including missile testing, proxy actions in the region, and the taking of American citizens hostage.

Referring to Iranian officials' statements that sanctions would unite the Iranian people against the United States, he added that in recent protests, slogans were only raised against the Islamic Republic government, not the United States.

Mr. Hook also said that the Donald Trump administration, through sanctions, has caused the Islamic Republic's income to decrease and its hands and feet to be tied.

Source: Radio Farda