Dr. Kazerounian, Expert on Iran's Nuclear Program

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kazem Casaronian. I appreciate you taking the time to come on.
We've been trying to stay trying to work hand in
hand with the NCRI, and I've had several guests on
covering all things around and what's happening there. You're the
dean of College of Engineering.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I have finished my term as the dean of College
of Engineering at Yukon. I was the dean for twelve
years and starved two proud terms as the dean. Currently,
I am a professor at the University of Connecticut, where
I have been for forty years now.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Yeah, and I noticed the eight six zero when I
went to call you. I didn't know anything about the
Yukon end of the equation.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
A proud resident of Connecticut for forty one year actually
forty one years now really from Iran. My wife and
I went to University of Illinois at Chicago, where I
studied and I got my bachelor's, master's and PhD in
mechanical engineering, and then joined in nineteen eighty four as

(01:01):
a faculty. Remember to.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Mutha, well, that's I mean, that's fantastic. I can't believe
that that was left out when you know I was
going back with nailing down the time to get you
on the show. Great to know you're here in Connecticut.
It is interesting looking at where things are at with
Iran right now. You know, I've got a headline in
front of me. When Mula, when Mula's of Iran fall,

(01:25):
the heavy lifting of a new government will begin. I
was under the impression, for whatever reason, from as far
away as I am here you know, the same as
you here in the States. In this state, I thought
there was I hesitate to word this incorrectly, but this

(01:48):
was a much more fluid situation, and obviously there's urgency.
But I thought by now Mariam Rajavi might have all
already been much farther along.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Fifty years now, this region, five decades in power. We
would have all love to see them toppled far before today. However,
there are reasons now when when we look back then
we analyze the situations, there are reasons on why it
has taken as long as it has, and one of

(02:22):
them is you know that one of them is the
brutality of the regime. They are so brutal in suppressing
uprisings in Iran. Thirty thousand executions in prisons in Iran
in nineteen sixty, and then in nineteen eighty, and then
beyond that they continue to just brutally suppress any uprising

(02:47):
of the people in Iran. But the other side of
it is an external element, and this is the fallous
policy of the vest towards Iran. The appeasements and one
of one regime after another has really helped this regime

(03:09):
to stay on its feet and and and survive as
long as they have had. And and this policy of appeasement,
this policy that that of hoping that this regime at
some point will change and become a civilized, peace loving
regime in the world is so false and and and

(03:31):
this this needs to stop. But also the third, a
third factor that that is often not talked about or
not fully understood is the voice of the Iranians, the
people of Iran, and the voice of the organized resistance,
the voice of of of you know you mentioned Mariam Rajavi.

(03:53):
Mariam Rejavi leads an organized resistance that that includes National
Concert of Resistance of Iran, a council of more than
five hundred individuals that actually supports a ten point plan.
Mariam Rajavi is ten point planned for a future Iran.
And at the same time, there are resistance units of

(04:18):
People's mojority in organization and that in Iran that are
really on a daily basis that have so many actions
against this currentrygime. And this needs to be talked about more. Now.
We hear a lot about the negotiations right now, nuclear
negotiations between the United States and Iran, and there's all

(04:42):
sorts of hopes that this will move in the right direction.
But absence of considering Iranian resistance, absence of considering that
there is an organized resistance, a national Council of Resistance
of Iran, absence of having the voice part of this,
absence of holding it on accountable for what they do

(05:06):
and ignoring fifty years of them fooling the world and
lying and turning back on their awards. I'm not hopeful
that that this, this current negotiations with GOO anywhere.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Really, you're not optimistic. You're saying.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
No, absent of those factors that I mentioned. No, this
is that's interesting, just a repeat of what we have.
This is just a repeat of what have failed over
the past fifty years and over and over again.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
You know, it's interesting to me again as an American
as as someone who in the eighth grade. Every day
we watched the hostage crisis. That was part of my
classroom here in Connecticut, here my current events class. It
was it was a scary time. I mean, it is
in the United States, and that there was forty five

(06:05):
years forty five years ago, they'reabouts. It is in the
United States best interest that Iran gets the right leadership,
that the people are heard, that democracy reigns. I think
that's the only way things can finally get to place

(06:25):
that works for both Iran and.

Speaker 2 (06:27):
The United States.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
The United States intensifying, it's you know, our military footprint
on Diego Garcia. We've got these newly released satellite images,
so we have I believe we have a vested interest.
And when you talk about every uprising, you know, getting squashed,
and I know that, you know, baby Shaw is looming

(06:49):
in the shadows. He's not the right way to go.
When I think about an uprising involving a female candidate
for president, I can only imagine his many The response
to a female, you know, president in Iran, is are
there any concerns for her safety? What is she secure?

(07:10):
Is she surrounded by those keeping her safe?

Speaker 2 (07:13):
I believe so, but I know that the Iranian regime
would do anything to stop this organized resistance and cri
I and people's majority in organization and leaders. But but
you mentioned, you mentioned that it is in United States
interests to see change in Iran, a democratic change in Iran,

(07:35):
a woman leader who aspires to make Iran a peaceful,
non nuclear republic, which is secular with supports, which supports
peace in the region. You look at the regional thermoil
right now, you look at what's going on in Middle East,
and even beyond that, No, it goes even beyond Yemen

(07:59):
and and what goes on in other countries, Affhanistan and
and then Iran's reached to some of the European countries
and the terrorist actions that they've had. And just to that,
add a nuclear Iran on their molas. And I don't
know whether there are hours to become a nuclear power

(08:20):
or days or weeks or months, but certainly not more
than that. Just imagine that they and what they're doing.
Iran's tactic right now in these negotiations is to buy
time so that they get closer and closer and frustrate
the other side. And again I'm repeating myself, but the

(08:44):
voice of the Iranian people and Iranian resistance is absent
in these conversations, and it needs to be heard. Iranian
people do not want boots underground, American boots or anyone
else's boots underground. They Ruanian resistance is not asking for money,
is not asking for arms, but is asking for a

(09:09):
right policy that would recognize the right of the people
of Iran for resistance, the right of their Iranian people
to fight this regime. Is asking for stopping appeasement policy,
which has been the key to keep this regime in

(09:31):
power for fifty years. Stopping their false hope that this
Iranian mold laws suddenly overnight will keep their promise and
will become peaceful, peaceful forces in the region. If we
stop that, this regime would fall, no doubt about that.

Speaker 1 (09:53):
And again more around with doctor Kasim Kazarounian are continuing
coverage with everything that's happening in Iran. One of the
latest latest developments, considering half hour back I began this
is now President Trump. He is in the throes of
Iran talks. Israel is expressing some fear about being boxed

(10:15):
in by these talks. Do you think he'll get what
is it. You know, you've lived here in the States
now over forty years. What are your thoughts. Do you
think it's possible that Trump can exact a relationship or
get somewhere as far as a deal is concerned with Iran.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
I'm sure that at some point they may be able
to arrive at something that that would be a cause
for superficial celebrations. Yes, but absolutely nothing meaningful will come
in conversations with the current regime in Iran. Again that

(10:56):
this regime has repeatedly shown and that they lie. They're
very complex in negotiating with They know that they come,
they make a promise, or a group of it makes
a promise, and then as part of the disorganized game,
another group or the supreme reader will go back on it.

(11:19):
And then the usually the triggers that are set in
such organizations are not are not activated, and and and
and this all buys them time, buys them time. And
as part of this, the unfortunate thing is bad and

(11:41):
they get access to a ton of money. You know
that these sanctions will be relaxed. They get access to
a ton of money, and they would use that money
to rebuild their proxy forces that are are significantly damaged,
severely damaged right now, they would use money to to

(12:02):
beef up their security forces inside you on, so that
they can better suppress uprisings. So I can see anything
good other than a few selfies and a few superficial
celebrations coming out of these meetings, you.

Speaker 1 (12:20):
Know, I don't. I don't want this to sound inappropriate
or to dismay any any especially when I post this
social media. I get I have a lot of interaction
with those still in ron hoping and praying for this
to go the right way. I have to say, though,

(12:40):
I appreciate your vocalizing, your skepticism and your and you're
just saying right there, there's going to be a few
selfies that come out of this, because I think that's
one of the problems too. And how about net and Yahoo.
He's weary of Trump even trying to exact a relationship

(13:03):
here to even attempt to curb the nuclear program. He
kind of wants military action. Do you think there's a
chance of military action and of it working out in
a way where there's no collateral damage for lack of
a better term, So it runs.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
First of all, if Iran continues the path that they have,
they have been on for new for their nuclear aspirations
for decades now. At some point the world cannot tolerate this,
and at some point there would be some sort of

(13:43):
confrontation and who who who starts that I can I
can't predict that right now. But the Wall cannot tolerate
a nuclear Iran. But that would be very messy for
the region, that would be very messy for the Iranian people.
I don't know to what extent a nuclear a an

(14:10):
attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be would be effective
and and because first of all, there are so many
clandestine centers that they have right now, and there are
so many way underground facilities that they have right now. Actually,

(14:31):
as a matter of fact, just last month, National Consular
Resistance of Iran in Washington, d C. Had a news program,
the News Conference, and in that they revealed some of
the news sites that they ran has and the world
didn't know about the rainbow Side it's referred to. So Iranian.

(14:52):
Iranian regime continues to be very deceived for about what
they do. And I'm not sure if attacking these facilities
in Iran is the best path to go Iranian people,
if given the chance Iranian resistance. If given the chance,

(15:13):
they would eliminate this Again, we aspire to have a
non new player Iran. So the most permanent, stable way
of of we're dealing with this is through a total
regime change by the Iranian people. We don't need to
spend money. The United States does not need to spend

(15:34):
a single penny on.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
This long time coming, as you said, a fifty years
a long time coming, doctor Kaserney, and I appreciate you
taking the time to come on considering the fact that
you're hearing Connecticut. Hopefully we can get you back on
and continue the coverage I'm trying to give to this
very interesting time in Iran's history.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
I would love that, and I would welcome that, and
thank you so much for the opportunity.