Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the founder of the Islamic regime, Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini, hailed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a major “victory” for Tehran, promising that the “greater jihad” would now begin, according to a speech aired by state media earlier this week.
Khomeini advised that to maintain victory, Iranians “must stay away from pointless disputes, disputes that are the product of ego and self-centeredness.”
While it is unclear which disputes he was referring to, the regime has struggled to suppress growing domestic dissent, most visibly during the January demonstrations that erupted over the country’s worsening economic conditions.
Human rights organizations say tens of thousands of protesters were killed and tens of thousands more detained by security forces. During the crackdown, the regime imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, preventing independent observers from documenting and investigating the repression.
The war with Israel and the United States has also led many to witness seeming divides in the regime’s senior leadership. Criticism from Iranian parliamentary hardliners, unapproving of the MoU, has led to a number of street demonstrations by the regime’s supporters.
Terms favorable to the regime, though many Iranians condemn MoU
The hardline Paydari Front has vocally condemned the regime for engaging in the negotiations, despite many experts viewing the agreed-upon terms as largely favorable to the regime.
At some demonstrations, protesters have even been recorded calling for the execution of Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
“The kind of actions the Americans took could have brought many countries to their knees,” Khomeini said of the US’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. “The capacity of the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran is extremely great; that is the lesson we take from all of this.”
