WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer said Wednesday he supports protesters in Iran and called on the United States and the international community to “stand with the Iranian people,” as demonstrations continue amid a crackdown by the country’s government.
“I stand strongly with the brave protesters across Iran risking their lives to demand freedom from oppression,” Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said in a statement released Jan. 14.
Gottheimer accused Iran’s leadership of responding to unrest with “acts of violence and repression,” including detentions and communications blackouts. “The Iranian regime continues to answer calls for peace and change with acts of violence and repression, killing its citizens in cold blood, detaining protesters, and imposing communications blackouts to prevent the world from seeing the bloody reality,” he said.
He described the Islamic Republic as “irredeemable” and said Iran fuels hostility toward the United States and its allies. “After more than four decades of tyranny, the Islamic Republic has proven itself irredeemable,” Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer also cited Iran’s support for militant groups in the region and raised concerns about its nuclear ambitions. “Through its global network of terror proxies — including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad — Iran exports violence across the region,” he said, adding that “the regime’s continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon” remains “central to the Islamic Republic as it clings to power.”
“It is clear the regime is feeling the pressure, and we cannot let up,” he said.
Gottheimer said the protesters “are not enemies of the world; they are students, workers, and families demanding a better future for themselves and their children,” and urged continued international backing. “The United States and the international community must stand with the Iranian people and amplify the voices calling for a better future,” he said. “After decades of authoritarian rule, the people of Iran deserve freedom.”
