The Trump plan to make Iran great again

OPINION:

Recently, President Trump mentioned five words that should lay the foundation for America’s approach toward Iran: “Let’s Make Iran Great Again.” These words have never been uttered by any of his predecessors and if the president succeeds in realizing the goal of a prosperous Iran at peace with its neighbors he will have accomplished something none of his predecessors were able to achieve over the past 40 years; namely, putting an end to the theocratic dictatorship of the clerical regime that has been the main geo-political challenge to the United States in the Middle East since 1979.

In order for Mr. Trump to achieve this laudable goal, there are certain steps he must immediately take. First, Mr. Trump should make a live televised address to the Iranian people laying out his vision for how he intends to help the Iranian people make Iran great again. He must also state clearly: “My predecessor Barack Obama let you honorable people of Iran down in 2009 by making a deal with your tormentors. I will never let you down.” This will give renewed hope to the millions of Iranians who want nothing more than the moral support of the United States in confronting the regime.

In this speech, Mr. Trump should make it clear that he wants the Iranian nation to become great again because they are heirs to a great civilization and deserve a better future. The president can correctly point out that if the corrupt, ignorant mullahs had not pillaged Iran’s economy over these past 40 years today their country would have been the fourth-largest economy in the world.

This presidential address should be followed by a bipartisan address to the Iranian people by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a demonstration of a united front against the Islamic regime. The message to the Iranian people should be clear: When it comes to freedom and prosperity for the Iranian people, America stands united.

Second, Mr. Trump should take concrete steps to demonstrate that he is truly interested to make Iran great again. For example, he should announce a major blueprint for the reconstruction of Iran in cooperation with and collaboration of American-Iranian experts to lift Iran’s moribund economy and create jobs for the millions of unemployed Iranians. As a symbolic gesture, he can also lift the ban on tourist visas for Iranians.

Third, Mr. Trump should announce the appointment of an “Iran Czar” who speaks not only farsi but is fully versed in Iranian culture — in short, someone who can identify with the people of Iran. This person can quarterback the president’s plan to make Iran great again and report directly to Mr. Trump. The current Iran coordinator, Brian Hook, has been a strong advocate of the president’s policy, but this important post requires a deeper understanding of what makes Iran tick.

Fourth, the Trump administration should directly or indirectly fund an independent private 24/7 media station dedicated to broadcasting hard-hitting news into Iran. As a 60-year veteran of media and communication campaigns, I know what will “rattle the cage” of the mullahs and what will excite my fellow countrymen to overthrow the despotic regime in Tehran. For example, during my time at the VOA Persian News Network my colleagues and I took viewership from 1 million per week to 22 million per week within one year. Our formula was simple: Tell the truth to the Iranian people, give them hope and talk about a how better future can be achieved.

Soft-landing a change of regime in Iran that allows for this proud nation to become great again and join the community of nations will usher in a tectonic geopolitical shift. To begin with, it will signify the death of political Islam. Furthermore, an Iran at peace with its neighbors will no longer interfere in the affairs of its neighbors and immediately end support for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. On the energy front, a stable and pro-Western Iran can start selling its natural gas to Europe and Asia, thus becoming a reliable anchor for global energy security.

In its 2,500 years of history, when Iran has had great leaders it has also made lasting contributions to humanity. One can think of Cyrus the Great, who freed the Jews from their Babylonian captivity and whose declaration of human rights was the first in the world. Iranian thinkers such as Avicenna, Kharazmi and Omar Khayyam made contributions in the fields of astronomy, mathematics and algebra, respectively. And in the 20th century, when Iran was governed by reformists such as the Pahlavi monarchs, it played a constructive role in global affairs.

By promising to “Make Iran Great Again,” President Trump can help usher in a new beginning for the people of Iran and make a lasting contribution to global stability.

• Kambiz Mahmoudi was the executive editor of the VOA Persian News Network and deputy director of National Iranian Radio and TV until 1979.