The policy of engagement has failed

The recent statement by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, that operatives linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were involved in directing violent attacks on Australian soil is more than just a security report. It raises an important question for the Australian Government and other democratic nations.

If the Islamic Republic Regime in Iran, is now seen as a threat to Australia’s national security, why were the warnings of the Iranian people ignored for so many years?

For more than four decades, Iranians have been telling the world about the nature of this regime. Thousands of people have been killed during protests, executions, political repression, and violent crackdowns. Thousands of families have lost loved ones, and millions have been forced to leave their homeland.

Despite this, many Western governments continued a policy of engagement with the Islamic Republic, hoping it would lead to positive change. Many believe that policy has failed.

Now, according to Australia’s own intelligence officials, threats linked to the Islamic Republic have reached Australian soil. This raises another difficult question. Should democratic governments only take strong action when their own citizens become targets? Were the lives of Iranian victims not important enough to deserve the same level of concern?