During an interview with ABC on Wednesday, journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad discussed federal charges being brought against Brig. Gen. Ruhollah Bazghandi, a high-ranking in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard over an alleged plot to kill her on U.S. soil and stated that the administration has refused to meet with her “because I believe that they’re trying to get back to the nuclear deal” and this desire for talks with Iran is “why the U.S. government hesitates to support women right now who are in prison.”

Alinejad began by saying that she met with FBI and DOJ officials and is very happy Bazghandi is facing charges and praised the courage of U.S. law enforcement.
Later, host Diane Macedo asked, “Now, since this alleged Iranian plot to kidnap you three years ago, you have been outspoken about the Biden administration, saying you don’t think the administration’s doing enough against the Iranian regime. Has anyone from the administration reached out to you, either before or after these charges were announced?”

Alinejad responded, “I was pushing them to meet with me, because I, and millions of women like me, we know the Islamic Republic better than anyone. We know that killing, assassinating, torturing, raping, it’s in the DNA of the Islamic Republic. But they refused [a] meeting with me, because I believe that they’re trying to get back to the nuclear deal, and that’s why they might think it is going to be too controversial to meet with a person who say[s] that we only have one demand: To get rid of the Islamic Republic.”

She further stated that while the regime might say it prefers 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, they hate America, free elections, and women regardless of who is in power in the U.S.

Alinejad continued that the Iranian regime wants “to negotiate with the U.S. government, and that’s why the U.S. government hesitates to support women right now who are in prison.”

She concluded that the Iranian people are a better ally for the U.S. than the Iranian regime is.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett