The signing of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, and President Donald Trump's turning the terrorist regime into a partner, have stunned opponents of the regime in Iran, as well as the Iranian exile community.
One of them is Amir Fakhravar, head of the Iranian lobby in Washington, a regime opponent and dissident who served years in an Iranian prison and was tortured, and who now lives in the US.
"We are in shock," Fakhravar told Israel Hayom. "There is tremendous confusion. We simply do not understand, and above all, we, as Trump supporters, do not understand what caused the president to make this move. Even I, who know the situation in the White House very well, do not understand. There is no satisfactory explanation for it."
Still, what is your intuitive explanation?
"More than anything, this is connected to the 2028 presidential election campaign, which is already on the table: the Rubio camp versus the Vance camp. Rubio has made many changes in foreign policy and achieved a great deal. The Venezuela story is credited to him, as are the moves on Cuba. Vance, meanwhile, is moving in the economic direction while ignoring the strategic interest of the US. He is playing with the lives and futures of tens of millions of people in Iran and the Middle East as part of his election campaign.
"He was brought into the White House by Trump's son, Donald Jr., and is considered a close friend of his. That is how he managed to build a significant power base. When I was in prison in Iran and being tortured, I memorized Thomas Jefferson's ideas of liberty. He founded the State Department in America's early days precisely for that purpose.
"Vance is distorting the idea of Make America Great Again, MAGA. He was against the war from the outset. He belongs to Tucker Carlson's camp, which received blood money from Qatar. This must be exposed and these people must be stopped.
"The Qataris are despicable and treacherous. It was very sad to hear how they spoke about rebuilding Iran. Qatar bribed the entire region, funded terrorism and acted treacherously toward everyone, including the US and Israel. It was inconceivable to see Trump sitting alongside the emir of Qatar at the G7 summit and speaking that way."
How does this look from inside Iran?
"Of course, the regime cannot be believed. It was at the end of the road, and most likely Mojtaba himself is no longer alive. All that was needed was the final push to finish the job, the last few steps. The Iranians waited and waited for this change, and they cannot understand how Trump stopped and how he forgot the strategic and moral goal of toppling the regime."
What comes next?
"The Iranians' only hope now is the IDF, and we hope it will be the one to complete the mission. There are 90 million Iranians in Iran and another 10 million in exile, and I am certain that all Israelis would want to see that."
Can Israel defy Trump and act in Iran?
"The Iranian regime is an existential threat to Israel, and this agreement only strengthens it. China and Russia will provide it with many weapons, including covert assistance in obtaining nuclear weapons, and then the story will be completely different.
"That is Russia's and China's interest. In two years, after Trump, they will go all the way, and then the existential threat to Israel will be tangible. Therefore, Israel must act even against the administration's position.
"Today, Iranians trust Israel, see it as family and are deeply disappointed in Trump. We, the Iranians, can be the boots on the ground for Israel. This is within reach now. Later, it will be too late."
