Last Thursday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s hand-picked choice for president took office. His name is Ebrahim Raisi.
In 1988, Raisi was responsible for overseeing the executions of thousands of Iranian dissidents. This gave way to his nickname, the “Butcher of Tehran.” It was only in 2019 that Raisi, then head of Iran’s repressive judiciary, was sanctioned by the United States. He is trusted by Khamenei for a simple reason: He is a true believer in the Islamic Republic and all its fanatical impulses. He hates Iran’s enemies with a deep passion. Most of all, Israel and the U.S.
In that vein, Raisi has expressed his reluctance to deal with America.
I say fair enough. We need not beg Iran to return to compliance with the already flawed 2015 nuclear accord. New concessions to Raisi would only reward the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. What the U.S. government needs to show Raisi is resolution.
The familiar refrain of “peace through strength” remains the best answer. As demonstrated lately with its attacking ships such as the Mercer Street, leaving two crew members dead, Iran is seeking to extort America and its allies. Only through unyielding strength, as exemplified by the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign, will Iran understand that it must act like a normal nation. Iran must know that this is the price tag if it is to be accepted in the international community.
Raisi taking office should send the obvious signal to the Biden administration that it should once and for all abandon diplomacy with terrorists. If nothing else, it must maintain U.S. sanctions leverage on Iran. Appeasement risks calamity for the region and the world.
Jackson Richman is a journalist in Washington, D.C. Follow him @jacksonrichman.
