The opportunity for a democratic Iran Is now

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wes Martin, a retired U.S. Army colonel, has served in law enforcement positions around the world and holds an MBA in International Politics and Business. He was the first senior antiterrorism officer of all coalition forces in Iraq. 

U.S. policy expectations for the Islamic Republic of Iran have never been complicated: stop committing terrorist attacks on American military and civilians, stop destabilizing the Middle East, stop arming extremist non-state actors, stop trafficking weapons, stop taking hostages, stop dispatching terror cells around the world, stop threatening international shipping, stop trying to develop nuclear weapons, and stop brutalizing the Iranian people.

Since hijacking the Iranian democratic movement in 1979, the ruling religious extremists in Tehran have been chanting “Death to America” and Death to Israel.” If allied forces stop operations now, Iran’s theocracy will rebuild itself and recommence terrorist operations with a greater vengeance than ever before.

Newly named Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei made it clear he will continue pursuing his father’s reign of terror by publicly announcing: “I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs. The retaliation we have in mind is not limited only to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes a separate case in the file of revenge.”

Mojtaba Khamenei also proved himself to be a hypocrite. The Islamic Republic killing sprees have exterminated tens of thousands of Iranian lives. The 1981, 1988, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2022 protests were suppressed with brutal crackdowns. In 1988, 30,000 Iranian people were executed for their views by the regime. The January 2026 protests, by the Iranian regime’s own estimates, resulted in over 36,000 citizens killed. Machine guns were used to mow down men, women and children who were peacefully marching in the streets. Wounded protesters were removed from their hospital beds with tubes still attached.

In the Middle East, the anarchy that stretches across Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen is fueled by Tehran. Instead of dedicating financial resources to improving the lives of Iranian citizens, the fundamentalists use these resources to oppress the population, seek to acquire nuclear weapons, and arm terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Hamas could not have launched its Oct. 7, 2023, complex attack on Israel involving 3,000 rockets, paraglider assault forces, vehicles and ground troops without receiving training, armament and intelligence coordination from Iran.

On the broader international front, Iran has well-earned its title of “The Number One Nation-State Exporter of International Terrorism.” Terrorist activities by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Force (IRGC) and Quds Force (translated Jerusalem Force) have been investigated and proven throughout Asia and Europe, as well as in North and South America.

For too long, Americans exercised restraint despite the 1979 seizure of our embassy in Tehran and holding diplomats hostage for over a year; the terror bombing that destroyed our embassy twice in Beirut, Lebanon, and killed 241 U.S. service members in Beirut as well as many French peacekeepers there; the bombing of Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. airmen; and scores of other attacks. In a 2019 report, the Pentagon revealed 608 deaths of U.S. service members in Iraq were directly attributed to IRGC. All the missiles and drones now being used by Iran were pre-positioned for use at a time of the ayatollah’s choosing.

Unrest is rising once again in Iran as evidenced by the January protests. The people of Iran know what is happening and how the religious extremists are viewed throughout the world. They recognize it is the clerical dictatorship that prevents Iran from becoming a proactive part of the 21st century.

Five days before the current conflict commenced, the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was attacked by 250 fighters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), an organization associated with the National Council of Resistance to Iran (NCRI). Although they were pushed back with 100 MeK members killed, detained or missing, the attack resulted in IRGC adding significant protection forces to the compound. When an allied airstrike leveled the compound, along with the regime’s high command, IRGC losses far exceeded what would have taken place under normal threat conditions.

As the senior antiterrorism officer for all coalition forces in Iraq and later as commander of Camp Ashraf, Iraq, where 2,500 members of the MeK had been trapped during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I worked closely with this Iranian resistance organization. Despite all the Iranian regime-produced lies about these people, quickly endorsed by the U.S. State Department in pursuit of a nuclear weapons deal, I found the MeK to be good combat zone allies. They did everything possible to keep American service members alive.

Wars are never over until allied ground troops occupy real estate once controlled by adversaries. U.S. occupation is not necessary. Iranian citizens are already working to be the ground troops that finish this 73-year-old conflict. The regime cannot battle both external and internal adversaries. The best thing the West can do is to continue offensive operations while supporting Iranian citizens, including the NCRI and MeK, as they fight to regain their country. 

The opportunity for Iran’s non-nuclear democratic future is now. Once the Islamic Republic is removed from power, it must go the way of the monarchy. Neither must ever again be allowed to deny self-government to the people of Iran.