Chairman of the Justice, Law, Democracy (AHD) Party, Member of Parliament Gudrat Hasanguliyev answered questions from the party’s press service.
Xalqcəbhəsi.az presents the interview:
– Gudrat bey, Iran and the US signed a memorandum on a ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides consider themselves winners, which one is more in the right?
– The parties returned to the situation before the war. The US did not win, and Iran, despite all the losses, did not lose. The start of the war was a failure, and peace is a victory for both sides. For peace, the parties had to make certain concessions. Both sides had enough wisdom to do so. Trump needs peace because the Congressional elections are approaching, and it was extremely important to lower oil prices. Iran also needed peace because the country’s economy, which depends on oil revenues, was collapsing due to the inability to sell oil, and the living conditions of the population were getting harder every day.
Despite the signing of the memorandum, serious threats remain for a final peace treaty. No agreement has yet been reached on the main issues that caused the war to start. There are doubts that this will be achieved within 60 days. Let us hope that the parties will be able to reach an understanding on all issues.
– Many political experts say that there will be serious upheavals within Iran after the peace agreement. What do you think?
– Wise men say that when the wind of change blows, one should not build walls, but raise and open the sails. If major reforms are not carried out in Iran, civil conflict will be inevitable in the future. Iran must make bold decisions to lift international sanctions and implement serious reforms internally. Instead, if repressions and executions continue, and the strings are pulled even tighter, either the strings will break or society will be suffocated. Everyone, including the government, will suffer from this. Today, every official living in fear, in order to prove their loyalty to the government, grabs one end of the rope and pulls with all their might, as in a tug-of-war, or, fearing no God, unjustly puts the rope around someone’s neck. But they do not understand that in such an environment, one day, if someone does not like their “smile” or the color of their “jacket,” or if someone gets tired of seeing their face, they will put one of those ropes around their neck too.
If people express concern about existing problems, it is the wrong path to accept or present this as dissatisfaction or opposition to the regime and subject those individuals to repression. Those who cover up problems for their own corporate interests, praise and protect those who should be criticized, present decline as economic development, and stifle criticism are careerists who only think of themselves, and they are the ones who cause the greatest harm to both society and the government. Iran must take steps for internal peace and reconsider its domestic and foreign policy. I always say that Iran is not only our neighbor but also a Muslim country where our compatriots live. We want Iran to develop through evolution, without bloodshed.
– Can there be peace between Russia and Ukraine as well?
– Russia should take an example from the US. When the US saw that it was not getting 100% of what it wanted, it understood that it had to stop. Tens of thousands of people are dying on the battlefields every month on the Russia-Ukraine front. This massacre must be stopped. It is very sad that two brotherly peoples are destroying each other. The continuation of the war promises nothing good for Russia. The economy can no longer cover the costs of the war. Ukraine is striking strategic objects deep inside Russia, and dissatisfaction within Russia is growing. The ballistic missiles it used played an important role in stopping the war with Iran. I think Ukraine’s long-range drones, which Russia cannot stop, will also play a significant role in stopping the war. The human of the 21st century should not kill each other.