Demands for respect for rights, open government, action against corruption and genuine political participation have and will spread by themselves over time – not because we and other nations advocate them, but because they are the natural aspirations of all people everywhere. Simply refusing to address legitimate grievances about human rights or attempting to stamp them out will fail… While some governments across the region are waking up to this truth, Iran is moving in the opposite direction. The actions of the Iranian regime are holding Iran back, isolating its people and suffocating their immense potential, and preventing Iran from enjoying normal and productive relations with the outside world.