Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told Newsmax on Sunday that regime change in Iran "can change the whole world" if done in a way that allows the establishment of a government that represents the nation's people.
On "Conversations With Nancy Brinker," Hoenlein said that "everybody thoughtful" is "wrestling with" what would happen in Iran if its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were taken out.
"The answer is that we have to prepare for the day after," Hoenlein said. "People in Iran are doing so. The intellectuals, the people, are really trying to prepare so that there will be an orderly transition. You can't leave a vacuum.
"So, just removing him is not the answer. It's a question of what will happen the day after. And that has to be a priority for the American government, for Israel, for all of us, and mostly, for the people of Iran. And they are looking at it."
"It's a complicated country," he continued, mentioning the country's ethnic groups. "We have to find a system where they will be represented, their interests protected, and yet emerge from this with a solid government that will reengage again with the region — not have this ring of fire supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the terrorists in Iraq and in Syria. It can change the whole world if we do this right."
While Hoenlein said he thinks Khamenei and "his radical extremist ideology" are impediments to progress in Iran, he also said that "regime change is not up to us."
"It's up to the people of Iran," he said. "It's up to the forces inside the country to do it; we can't impose our will on them. I believe that they are ready for it. What they need to know is they will have the support of the West, particularly the United States, that we will help them to achieve real liberation, real freedom, and ultimately a democracy there."
The regime in Iran "was the fulcrum of destabilizing the Middle East and much of the world," Hoenlein said, with active branches in South America, Africa, and Asia.
President Donald Trump's Saturday airstrikes were welcomed by the vast majority of Iranians, he said.
"This is a war against Western civilization, against Western values, represented by the United States as the giant devil and Israel as the minor devil," Hoenlein said. "I'm in touch with them every week inside Iran, and believe me, this is a blessing to them. This is what they want. The vast majority, 90%, don't support this government.
"So, I think that this is a critical turning point, but we have to finish it because we can't allow a situation where they can come back to power and again impose their will on their people and on the world."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.