Deputy Director of NCRI talks about how Mullahs are Increasing Executions as they Negotiate over Nuclear Program
The April 22, 2025 episode of “America at Night with Rich Valdés” delivered a sobering look into the intensifying crisis inside Iran, with in-depth analysis from Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The interview painted a stark picture of a regime doubling down on both internal repression and external aggression, all while the West remains entangled in fruitless diplomatic overtures.
At the center of the discussion was the alarming increase in public executions across Iran, which have risen dramatically in recent months. Far from being isolated incidents, these executions represent a calculated strategy by the regime to terrorize its population into submission. As economic conditions worsen and public unrest simmers beneath the surface, the ruling clerics are deploying brute force to maintain their grip on power.
The segment detailed how the Iranian regime is now executing political prisoners, protesters, and ethnic minorities at an accelerating rate. This state-sanctioned violence appears designed not only to crush dissent but to send a message to anyone who dares challenge the authority of the Supreme Leader. While these developments are largely ignored in international media, they reveal a regime under siege—not a government confidently in control.
Concurrently, Iran is advancing its nuclear program with increasing speed. Enrichment levels are reportedly approaching weapons-grade thresholds, while missile development and clandestine activities continue with little international oversight. Despite clear evidence that Iran is using negotiations as a delaying tactic, Western powers—particularly the United States—remain locked in the cycle of appeasement, clinging to the illusion that the regime can be moderated through diplomacy.
The conversation moved beyond Iran’s internal repression to highlight its growing international footprint. Tehran is deepening ties with authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China, while continuing to fund and direct proxy militias across the Middle East. These actions signal a broader strategy to shift the regional balance of power and undermine U.S. influence, all while portraying itself as a victim on the global stage.
The implications extend well beyond the Middle East. Iran’s ability to operate with impunity—executing dissidents at home while exporting terror abroad—raises serious questions about the effectiveness of Western policy. A lack of meaningful consequences has emboldened Tehran to continue its aggression, knowing that diplomatic pressure rarely escalates into tangible action.
Attention then turned to the role of the Iranian people themselves, who continue to resist despite the risk of torture, imprisonment, and execution. Underground resistance networks are reportedly growing, with young Iranians—particularly women—playing a leading role. Acts of defiance are becoming more coordinated and bold, even as surveillance and crackdowns intensify.
The NCRI, a coalition of Iranian dissidents and exiles, continues to push for a peaceful transition to a democratic, secular republic. Its platform emphasizes gender equality, abolition of the death penalty, freedom of speech and religion, and the dismantling of the regime’s instruments of repression. While regime change remains a controversial topic in Western capitals, the alternative—a nuclear-armed theocracy with a brutal human rights record—is becoming harder to justify.
The interview underscored the disconnect between what is happening inside Iran and how the outside world is responding. Most Western media outlets have largely ignored the surge in executions and the systematic crackdown on dissent, while policymakers continue to engage in talks that only lend legitimacy to a regime bent on survival through fear and force.
If there was a single message that emerged from the conversation, it was this: silence enables brutality. By refusing to confront Iran’s human rights abuses and nuclear deception head-on, the international community is not promoting peace—it is postponing a crisis. With each passing day, the stakes rise—not just for the Iranian people, but for global stability.
