The West must re-evaluate its approach to the Iranian regime, specifically continuing diplomatic relations, because of the mullahs’ long and continued use of terrorism and human rights abuses to maintain power.

This choice to work with the regime as if they were a normal government has emboldened the mullahs to continue their terrorism, hostage-taking, and everything else that targets not just the Iranian people but the citizens of all democratic nations.

Despite this, some Western governments still go out of their way to give concessions to the regime in the blind hope of maintaining diplomacy with the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Hopefully, the ongoing court case in Belgium regarding the attempted bombing of the Free Iran rally in Paris in 2018 will raise more concerns about the regime’s conduct and change the policies of certain governments so that there is a more assertive approach towards Iran.

After all, the attack which targeted the 100,000 people in attendance at the rally happened after supposed moderate Hassan Rouhani had been in power for five years. What’s more, it was actually signed off by him and other regime leaders in response to the uprising led by the Iranian Resistance in December 2017 and January 2018.

Even though the uprising was quashed with a brutal crackdown, the people still answered the call for a year of uprisings by Maryam Rajavi, Resistance President-elect and keynote speaker at the rally. Even the regime leaders admitted to the Resistance’s role in the uprisings, despite usually pretending that they have no great support in Iran.

“When the verdict, in that case, is handed down next month, the perpetrators’ sentences must make it clear that there will be significant consequences for such activity in the future. But that message must be reinforced by comparable penalties for the entire regime behind the terror plot. These might include expanded human rights-related sanctions, the closure of Iranian embassies, and the formal recognition of Iran’s democratic Resistance movement,” the Iranian Resistance wrote.

They advised that ordinary diplomatic relations have not succeeded in tempering the regime’s destructive impulses and that, as the bomb plot was planned by an Iranian diplomat in Europe, this should be the impetus to close the embassies and expel the diplomats. Otherwise, Western leaders will be endorsing terrorism in their countries and helping the regime remain in power to the detriment of the Iranian people and the world at large.