Hostage crisis anniversary reminder of need for change in Iran © Getty Images On Nov. 4, the Iranian regime commemorated the 38th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover in 1979, when dozens of Americans were taken hostage for 444 days. This year, it paraded its ballistic missiles in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran. With chants of "Death to America," the disdain for international norms and the nuclear deal came through loud and clear. But that image does not represent Iran. Today, the average Iranian citizen longs for friendship and mutually beneficial ties with the outside world, particularly the United States. In 1979, it was not only Americans taken hostage by a medieval theocratic order; the Iranian people were also taken hostage and held captive after their democratic revolution was usurped by Khomeini. Decades later, the prospects of change in Iran are closer and more viable than ever. Internal conditions are conducive to a fundamental ...

A 1988 massacre and the truth about ‘moderate’ Rouhani 9/28/2017 7:41:40 PM 1988 Massacre of Iranian political prisoners   Dr. Majid Rafizadeh Arab News, 27 September 2017  - Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani is making a tactical shift once again. This time he is appealing the hard-liners publicly and revealing the actual agenda of his administration after achieving the Supreme Leader’s economic objectives. Rouhani used the UN pedestal last week to shower praise on Tehran’s theocracy. His stale slogans smack of desperation and deception. Isolated and generally regarded as a pariah, the regime and its familiar figures try to stick to the same plot and project an image of a powerful and rational player. Brush aside the forced rhetoric and the ugly truth reveals itself: A regime that has hanged over 3,100 people under Rouhani alone, securing the world record for the highest number of executions. Dozens of young people are among the victims, securing a...