![\"Dr-Ivan-Sascha-Sheehan-300\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/05\/Dr-Ivan-Sascha-Sheehan-300.jpg\" "\\"Dr-Ivan-Sascha-Sheehan-300\\"")
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On Thursday, IranFreedom.org hosted an online question and answer session with Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan of the University of Baltimore. Professor Sheehan is the director of the graduate program in negotiation and conflict management at the university\u2019s School of Public and International Affairs. In recent years, much of his scholarship has focused on Iran and its democratic political opposition.<\/p>\n
In keeping with this background, Sheehan\u2019s introductory remarks and his responses to questions from international journalists focused both on prospects for internal change in the Islamic Republic and on critiques of US-led negotiations over Iran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n
The program with Professor Shaheen came one day after a similar question and answer session with Ambassador Robert Joseph, who formerly served as United States Special Envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation.<\/p>\n
The two scholars\u2019 talks touched on many of the same points despite each having a different central focus. Both expressed the view that the emerging nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+ failed to establish sufficient verification of Iranian compliance, and that Iran\u2019s flat refusal to grant unfettered access to international inspectors was highly suspect.<\/p>\n
But Sheehan\u2019s independent remarks largely emphasized the general need for change in US policy toward Iran, including the need for support of Iranian opposition movements, and particularly the National Council of Resistance of Iran.<\/p>\n
That movement, Sheehan said, represents the \u201cbest hope\u201d for the defeat and transformation of the clerical regime currently ruling Iran. \u201cThis is a point I\u2019ve been making again and again,\u201d Sheehan said with reference to both his scholarship and his regular communication with policymakers on Capitol Hill. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve found a terrifically receptive audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about Western reactions to the NCRI, Sheehan said the group was getting \u201cquite a bit of attention in the halls of Congress.\u201d This was illustrated in April when the organization\u2019s president, Maryam Rajavi spoke before a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.<\/p>\n
Sheehan described this as an \u201cextraordinary\u201d event, which reflected \u201cgreat enthusiasm that has been growing for some time\u201d for Rajavi\u2019s presence in the policy landscape. <\/p>\n
According to Sheehan, the Iranian Resistance has a \u201cprofound role to play.\u201d Western support for the movement\u2019s goal of regime change in Iran represents a crucial third alternative to tactical military strikes and \u201cunending cosmetic diplomacy\u201d with the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n
Criticizing the US for acting as if the clerical regime\u2019s continued rule is inevitable, Sheehan declared that that regime is \u201cnot a fixture of the Middle East landscape,\u201d but could be replaced with a \u201cnuclear free, democratic, and secular\u201d government, as represented by the organized opposition and the massive protests that have recently spread across Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a scholar of the Middle East I can say without hesitation, the greatest threat to peace in the region is the Iranian regime,\u201d Sheehan said. As such, he told his online audience that what is needed for the region is regime change in Iran, as distinguished from the \u201cregime modification\u201d that has lately been pursued by the Obama administration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Thursday, IranFreedom.org hosted an online question and answer session with Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan of the University of Baltimore. Professor Sheehan is the director of the graduate program in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":43029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-18292","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran-a-world","8":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n