In a congressional briefing, United Nations Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman criticized the Biden administration for lacking a comprehensive strategy to address Iran’s regional activities and human rights violations. Speaking on Capitol Hill to staff from bipartisan House caucuses, Rehman contended that the US has failed to present a coherent plan to its international partners, particularly regarding Iran’s support for militant groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah.
Rehman remarked that the absence of a clear strategy has allowed Iran to exploit the situation, questioning the trustworthiness of the Iranian regime, especially in light of its support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict through drone supplies. He emphasized the need for consistency in addressing a regime that violates human rights and poses regional and global threats.
Rehman also criticized the Biden administration’s recent prisoner swap deal with Iran. The agreement resulted in the release of five Americans detained in Iran in exchange for $6 billion of Iranian-held funds in the US and the release of several Iranians held in US custody. He argued that human rights should take precedence over such deals, stating that US administrations have historically compromised on values when it suited them.
“Human rights values should take priority. The problem with successive US regimes is that they are willing to do deals with Iranians when it suits them,” Rehman said. “Last year, we saw that the US government agreed to give $6 billion in exchange for these hostages. I think that we should not be dealing with a rogue state.”
Rehman also discussed his forthcoming report on Iran, which highlights the ongoing oppression of protesters and minorities, linking current abuses to historical atrocities such as the 1980s massacres of the Iranian dissidents. Rehman connected these past events to the recent death of a young woman in police custody and the subsequent violent crackdown on protests.
The rapporteur expressed skepticism about the potential for significant change under Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, a figure seen by some as a reformist following the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Rehman warned that systemic issues, including the repression of women and minorities, the enforcement of hijab policies, and the execution of political dissidents, would likely persist despite new leadership.
“The systematic issue that we have, the systematic repression of women and girls, the policy of enforcing hijab, the oppression of minorities, the large-scale executions of political dissidents — that is my main concern and I’m not sure if the change of the new person, the president — the extent to which that can be changed,” he said. “I’m not very optimistic.”