ECPI: Iranian People Are Victims of the Islamic Republic, Not Deserving of Insults; JD Vance Should Apologize

The European Christian Political Initiative (ECPI) issued a statement condemning recent remarks by JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, about the Iranian people as “insulting and devoid of truth,” and calling on him to formally apologize to the Iranian people while emphasizing the distinction between the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic.

The European Christian Political Initiative (ECPI), in response to recent statements by JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, announced through a statement that attributing negative characteristics to the Iranian nation not only contradicts the historical and social realities of this country, but could also lead to undermining the path of dialogue and peace in the international arena.

This party, recognized as an opposition political movement with an approach based on secularism, democracy, and human rights, emphasized in its statement that a clear and distinct boundary must be drawn between the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic system. According to ECPI, the Iranian people should not be targets of judgment or insulting remarks from foreign officials due to the performance of the ruling government.

In this statement, the Iranian nation is described as the heir to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, and emphasis is placed on the role of Iranian emigrants in the scientific, economic, and cultural advancement of various countries, particularly the United States. The ECPI has also deemed the use of terms such as “terrorism” or “displacement” to describe the Iranian people as incorrect and contrary to reality, calling it disrespectful to a nation that has borne the costs of Islamic Republic policies for decades.

This Christian political organization further attributed part of Iran’s current situation to years of incorrect policies and appeasement approaches by Western governments toward the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that the Iranian people have been the “bargaining chip” of foreign powers’ political decisions during this period—a people who, in the view of the statement’s authors, are themselves victims of these circumstances and not agents of them.

In conclusion, ECPI called on JD Vance to better understand the history and current realities of Iran, correct his statements, and formally apologize to the Iranian people. The statement also called on American officials to recognize the will of Iranians to achieve freedom, rule of law, and establish a democratic system.

The European Christian Political Initiative (ECPI) was founded in 2019 with the aim of creating an organized presence for Iranian Christians in the political arena. While emphasizing its Christian identity, the party supports the establishment of a secular, democratic government based on the rule of law in Iran.