Bishop Who Fled Iran Warns Regime in 'Death Throes' But Remains Dangerous
The Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford has issued a stark warning about Iran's future, describing the current regime as being in its "death throes" while cautioning that its brutal tactics should not be underestimated. The Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, who left Iran following the 1979 revolution, expressed deep personal concern about the country's trajectory and praised UK political leaders for their stance on the Middle East crisis.
Personal History of Persecution
Bishop Francis-Dehqani, 59, was born in Iran in 1966 to a prominent Anglican family. Her father, Hassan Dehqani-Tafti, served as the Anglican Bishop in Iran and presiding bishop of the Episcopal church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. Following the 1979 revolution, the family faced severe persecution including raids on their home, her father's imprisonment, and an assassination attempt that injured her mother Margaret.
While her father was performing duties elsewhere in the Middle East, her brother Bahram was murdered. After the funeral, Guli, her mother, and sister Shirin joined her father abroad, eventually settling in the UK as refugees when Bishop Francis-Dehqani was 14 years old.
Current Assessment of Iranian Regime
"I think that this regime is in its death throes, I genuinely do," the bishop told PA Media. "But death throes can last for a very, very long time. I don't have any clear sense of when it will end, but I believe it will end, and so I think they feel a sort of existential threat."
She described the regime's actions as "utterly, utterly barbaric" and explained that "everything they're doing is about surviving another day, hence the brutality of the crackdown we saw at the end of last year into the beginning of this."
The bishop warned that Iran "constantly seems to surprise the West" and that their ability to plan for events should not be underestimated, noting that "President Trump is probably quite surprised at the response of Iran to these latest attacks."
Support for UK's International Law Stance
Bishop Francis-Dehqani, who holds a seat in the House of Lords, expressed support for the UK government's decision not to join initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran. "I personally happen to agree that Britain should not have joined in the attack," she stated.
She specifically praised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for his position, saying "I think he was right to say this does not seem to have legal status under international law. And, frankly, I know international law is virtually now in shreds, and this seems to be another nail in its coffin, but I think it's right that we stood by that and refused to join the attack."
Fears of Civil War and Bloodshed
The bishop expressed grave concerns about Iran's potential descent into chaos. "There is no credible opposition around which people will coalesce. If the regime does kind of collapse in some form of chaos, I really worry that there will be civil war," she warned.
She noted that "there are factions who are seeking change, wanting change. Some of them are no better, if not worse, than what we have at the minute. And I really fear civil war and massive bloodshed."
Bishop Francis-Dehqani emphasized that any regime change must come from within Iran, stating that "the West has intervened so often in the politics of Iran, the people almost have lost the ability to work out their future for themselves." She added that "democracy is a far-off dream" for Iran, explaining that "democracy doesn't come to a nation overnight, it has to be learned. And Iran has never been democratic."
Current Communication Blackout and Concerns
The bishop reported being unable to communicate with anyone in Iran currently, saying "I'm not getting anything out of Iran at the minute, my messages aren't getting through and nothing's coming out." She expressed particular concern for those with family ties in the country, noting "this is a very, very difficult time, because obviously we have no news or information about friends, family, loved ones and so on."
She recalled receiving disturbing messages during January protests about terrorist dissident groups "killing government agents and, he said, beheading them, literally on the streets" while the government fails to distinguish between these groups and innocent protesters.
While acknowledging some reports of celebrations in Iran, Bishop Francis-Dehqani worried that "as time goes on and the reality kicks in that this is not going to be over quickly," any initial elation "will turn to real fear." She concluded with a somber reflection: "I really weep for what could be coming in the coming days and weeks."
