پریسا@longlosthills
The Islamic Republic: A Bloodthirsty Monster with a Thousand Arms
In recent days, widespread rumors have circulated on social media, including the claim that Donald Trump is negotiating with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. A brief review of Ghalibaf’s record, and that of any other figures appearing in these lists of speculation, conveys a clear message: the Islamic Republic is a bloodthirsty monster with a thousand arms, and labeling any of its figures as “moderate” or “reasonable and pragmatic” is fundamentally false and misleading.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Law Enforcement Force, former Mayor of Tehran, and current Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament), has been directly or indirectly involved in the suppression of various protest movements throughout his career:
•By his own admission, since the early 1980s (the 1360s in the Iranian calendar), he participated in the suppression of political opponents using “clubs and daggers.”
•While commanding the Law Enforcement Force, he was one of the signatories of a threatening letter from IRGC commanders to then-President Khatami, demanding the suppression of student protests. He has personally stated that he took to the streets armed with a club and directly participated in the crackdown. He also claimed to have obtained permission from the Supreme National Security Council in 2003 (1382 in the Iranian calendar) for security forces to open fire and enter the University of Tehran dormitories during subsequent protests.
•During the nationwide protests of 2009 (the Green Movement), as Mayor of Tehran, he described the demonstrations as a “sedition” and “satanic,” and strongly endorsed a decisive and firm response. He labeled the leaders of the Green Movement as criminals, insisting that even an apology would not absolve them.
•As Speaker of Parliament, he has consistently defended harsh crackdowns on protesters, referring to demonstrations as “riots” and “sedition.” On January 19, 2026, during an open session of Parliament, he admitted to the killing of “several thousand people” during the recent protests, describing the events as “intense urban warfare,” “armed attacks,” and “ISIS-style operations,” while making no mention whatsoever of the role played by security forces and the regime in the widespread killings.
Any other figure appearing in these rumors and speculative lists will have a similar -or even worse- track record. The people of Iran have repeatedly given various faces of this terrorist regime the chance to deliver promises of reform and change, yet in return they have received nothing but escalating bloodshed, deepening poverty, and further erosion of freedoms.
The Islamic Republic must fall.
#IranRevolution2026
#IranWar2026
