Khamenei's concern for the welfare of the Iranian people is reflected in the regime's egregious human rights record. When the Iranians decided to voice their opposition to Khamenei's policies in 2009 and over three million Iranians marched in the streets of Tehran in protest, Ahmadinejad, Khamenei's then-selected president, referred to them as "dust and dirt," a contempt for the Iranian people shared by the leaders of the regime. The peaceful post-2009 election protests were violently crushed by Khamenei's security forces. Many peaceful protesters were killed on the streets and in prisons. Thousands were arrested, while many remain in confinement to this day.
As Khamenei's regime amassed the largest oil revenues in the eight years of Amadinejad's presidency -- over $800 billion -- the Iranian people became poorer. The inflow of petrodollars to the regime, however, was not used on any domestic programs to relieve the burden on the Iranian people or even to fund desperately needed improvements in the oil sector. Instead, regime corruption grew to epic proportions. Almost 250 cases of embezzlement were reported in one year alone, the largest of which was involved a sum of $3 billion. The Syrian government, Hezbollah and other dictators and terrorist organizations were instead the beneficiaries of Khamenei's generosity, but not the Iranian people.
The evidence to date demonstrates that only the imposition of tough oil sanctions will influence Khamenei's public statements and his behavior. One year after American-led sanctions were imposed on the regime's oil sector, Khamenei changed his tone in the 2013 election. First, he presented the Iranian people with a list of seven presidential candidates, selected by his Guardian Council, and asked them to vote "even if they are for some reasons opposed to the regime." Then Khamenei took another bold step by announcing publicly that, while he is not optimistic about negotiations with the United States, he did not forbid it in the past years concerning specific issues such as Iraq. Khamenei was implying that he is not opposed to negotiations with "The Great Satan." Yet in the same speech, he makes it clear that the nuclear negotiators should pursue talks in a way that allows the nuclear program to continue unimpeded.
The only diplomatic instrument that shows any likelihood of succeeding in dealing with Khamenei's regime is one that cuts off the source of his revenue -- oil sanctions. Khamenei has shown that any real change in the behavior of his regime will happen only under financial duress. Unless he is convinced that the inauguration of a so-called moderate president will not delay tougher oil sanctions that cut off his revenue flow, there is little hope for resolving the nuclear issue diplomatically any time soon. A strong bipartisan House vote this week on tougher oil sanctions will send Tehran the unmistakable signal that it is in its best interest to resolve the nuclear issue diplomatically, and soon.
