On Wednesday, March 20th, members of the MEK and the Iranian Resistance gathered in Tirana, Albania, to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which begins on the March 21st at the moment of the vernal equinox. The celebration included speeches from the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran Maryam Rajavi, former Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko, and Deputy Director of the Albanian Democratic Party Edmond Spaho, along with a fireworks display and entertainment.

Maryam Rajavi’s Speech

Maryam Rajavi’s speech highlighted the successes of the MEK and the Iranian opposition over the past year and the progress that has been made in leading the country toward freedom. She described the mullahs’ failed efforts to suppress the Iranian opposition and discredit the MEK, and she provided a roadmap for the upcoming year.

“In these moments just after the turn of the year, we stand with Iran’s workers whose dinner tables are without food,” Mrs. Rajavi said.

The gates of #Iran are open to embrace a future without oppression, inequality and injustice. A republic based on the separation of religion and state; a country ruled by its people’s suffrage and sovereignty, where the people’s votes have the first and final words. #Nowruz pic.twitter.com/uINPhpbj6j

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 20, 2019

“We stand alongside our farmers whose farms are dry and without water. We stand with the honorable teachers of Iran who are discriminated against and humiliated, who are forced to live under the poverty line, and who are imprisoned for their legitimate protests. And we are in alliance with and fighting alongside the army of millions of unemployed youth and graduates whose numbers grow by the year,” she continued.

Rajavi praised the MEK Resistance Units for their work in 1397, the previous Iranian calendar year. “1397 was the year of the expansion of Resistance Units when the strategy of 1,000 Ashrafs and the army of freedom shined brighter than ever in our occupied homeland. In 1397, the uprisings and protests shook the ground under the mullahs’ regime. Last year, the National Liberation Army culminated in 1,000 Ashrafs and Resistance Units, which sprouted in cities across the country. The policy of appeasement was defeated and the mullahs lost one of the main pillars propping up their rule,” she said.

Mrs. Rajavi discussed Iran’s failing economy and described the measures the regime has taken to sell off the country’s resources in order to postpone its inevitable downfall. She emphasized the futility of these efforts. The people have already begun to rise up.

“Still, this regime,” Mrs. Rajavi stressed, “which is close to its downfall, will not be able to save itself with the aid of such treacherous acts. In short, the mullahs have no way out in the face of nationwide uprisings and protests that are encircling them. This results from an understanding of the essence of the uprisings and offers a summary of the past year’s events. The regime’s death knell and internal tensions have left no more openings for it to display hollow shows of moderation.”

Mrs. Rajavi pointed to the appointment of Ebrahim Raisi as the new Judiciary Chief as a sign of desperation by the regime, meant to heal rifts between factions in the government

“Moderation was put to death by the appointment of Ebrahim Raisi as Chief Justice. He is a hated mass murderer who ran against Rouhani in the regime’s presidential elections. Raisi’s appointment was a coup de grace to the elusive myth of moderation. This while Rouhani’s government is half-paralyzed as their showcase foreign minister keeps sitting at home every other day or resigns,” she said.

Raisi’s appointment was a coup de grace to the illusive myth of moderation. This while Rouhani’s government is half-paralyzed as their showcase foreign minister keeps sitting at home every other day or resigns. #Iran#IranProtests

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 20, 2019

Mrs. Rajavi pointed out that the problems in Iran go further than any specific crisis within the regime. “Now, the strategy and stances of the Iranian Resistance are echoed by the words and demands of workers, truckers, teachers, students, farmers and all protesters throughout the country: The overthrow of the clerical regime is the desire and demand of all the people of Iran. The problem is not whether this regime is engulfed in this or that crisis; the problem is that the mullahs’ rule is in crisis altogether. Yes, the crisis is the crisis of overthrow,” she said.

Mrs. Rajavi concluded her speech with a description of a free Iran: “We want an Iran replete with freedoms, where children and youths are happy, where talents and potentials are realized, and where women play their role in the leadership of society; a country that lives in peace, friendship, and coexistence with its neighbors. The people of Iran deserve such a country and they will write and create such a destiny with their own hands.”

Pandeli Majko’s Speech

Former Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko followed Mrs. Rajavi’s speech with his own warm wishes for the new year, referring to Ashraf 3, the MEK’s headquarters in Tirana, as the Iranian embassy.

“Everything that is coming is new and hope. Albania and Albanians have one of the best embassies for Iran. It is Ashraf. We are proud to have friends like you and Madame Rajavi. No doubt, she will lead the future of Iran. Happy New Year!” he said.

Minister @PandeliMajko: "Happy 2b with U in the feast of #Nowruz"
Referring to the expulsion of the #Iranian regime diplomat terrorists (Iranian regime Ambassador&his deputy) from Albania, he emphasized that the real embassy of #Iran is in AshrafII, the #MEK residence."#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/HgjT5YFAM2

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 20, 2019

Edmond Spaho’s Speech

Edmond Spaho, Deputy Director of the Albanian Democratic Party, also praised the Iranian Resistance in a speech and noted his support for expelling Iranian regime diplomats from Albania for their involvement in terrorist activities.

“With your efforts and the struggles of the Iranian people, next year, God willing, we’ll celebrate New Year in Iran. The future belongs to the people of Iran. Without a doubt, Iran will be free and produce prosperity for its people and stability in the region,” Spaho said.

“Despite the fact that my party is currently the opposition, we are unified to support you and we even support the actions of the government to expel Tehran’s diplomats who were involved in terrorist activities,” he added.

Min. @pdshqiperi, deputy of the Democratic party of #Albania, while wishing #Iranian resistance a happy #Nowruz&a victorious #NewYear, emphasized on all parties support regarding the government's policies towards #Iran,&the expulsion of regime's DiplomtTerrorists.#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/J0ev8fPA9A

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 20, 2019

Staff writer

A Member of the UK Parliament (MP) penned an op-ed for Politics Home on March 4^th, 2019. The piece was a response to the Warsaw Conference which took place the previous month. Bob Blackman, who represents the Harrow East constituency and is a member of the UK’s Conservative Party, describes the precarious situation in which the Iranian regime now finds itself. With shrinking international support, rampant infighting, and an opposition movement grows stronger by the day, the MP concludes that the regime is in a crisis.

"Regime officials expressed concern over a large gathering of the Iranian opposition coalition which took place alongside #WarsawSummit, warning that it sent “an important message” to the theocracy in Tehran" – @BobBlackman | @Maryam_Rajavi @iran_policy https://t.co/Ei2mHek1jW

— PoliticsHome – Central Lobby (@CentralLobby) March 4, 2019

Sounding Alarm Bells

Following the Warsaw Conference and the emergence of an international coalition united against Iranian expansionism and state-sponsored terrorism, Blackman describes how Iranian government officials are “sounding alarm bells”.

The conference represented a landmark moment in the history of Iranian policy. There has been nothing like it in the last 30 years, and the threat to the regime was only enhanced by the scores of Iranian opposition protestors that gathered alongside the Warsaw Conference to vent their frustrations.

MEK Supporters Rally for Second Day Outside of Warsaw Conference

The US is Leading the Charge

There have been signs that the US will not tolerate a violent and murderous regime in the Middle East undermining regional security and running roughshod over human rights with impunity. Vice-President Mike Pence told Europe in no uncertain terms that the US expected the union to adopt a firmer stance against the violent Iranian regime. He said, “the time has come for our European partners to stop undermining US sanctions against this murderous revolutionary regime.”

His comments prompted a response from Khamenei which was significant for several reasons. The Iranian Supreme Leader told his colleagues that they “should not fear the enemy,” a comment that was revealing for Blackman.

Fear is Taking Hold

Blackman wrote that this comment “clarifies two issues.” Firstly, “the panic and fear of the regime’s followers have now spread to decision-makers at the top of the regime.” Secondly, that “the growing fear in officials is not an isolated case and has overtaken the entire theocracy.”

This fear, Blackman asserts, is the result of escalating domestic and international crises. At home, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) has been relentless in its pursuit for Iranian democracy and regime change. It has mobilized large swathes of the population against the mullahs and used its political influence abroad to draw international attention to the regime’s glaring human rights abuses.

The MEK represents a “viable democratic alternative to the current theocratic regime,” Blackman wrote, and that makes them an existential threat to the clerical regime. Its resistance units, consistently praised by the Iranian opposition, President-elect Maryam Rajavi, are active across Iranian towns and cities and are busy encouraging protest against the regime’s repressive and violent policies.

I urge my fellow compatriots, esp. students and youths, to rise up and hold protests in solidarity with their teachers.#IranProtests#Iran

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 3, 2019

Blackman concludes, “it is clear that February was a very tumultuous month for Iran’s regime.” In the words of senior Iranian cleric Makarem Shirazi, “there is no going back.”

Staff Writer

 

Struan Stevenson’s new book, ‘Ashraf III— Rising from the Ashes’ charts the regime’s attempts to demonize the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). Speaking at a press conference, the former Scottish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) told reporters, “they [the regime] are providing some of the most ludicrous lies and slanders to the press.”

He called out the Guardian and the Independent, two British newspapers, for publishing these lies and falsehoods, and called a recent hit piece in Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine “astonishing”. “Der Spiegel last December, admitted that one of their most famous sub-editors and journalists, Claas Relotius, had been writing fake stories made up of absolute fiction.” Stevenson lamented that even though Relotius was fired, “suddenly we see Der Spiegel published a long, ludicrous article about Ashraf III… claiming that, amongst other things, that three times a week PMOI (MEK) are being trained how to cut throats, gouge out eyes with their fingers and tear people’s mouths open.”

.@STRUANSTEVENSON This kind of horrible #FakeNews an attempt to blacking and demonize the #MEK simply playing to the hands of the mullahs.#Spiegel #Spiegel_FakeNews @USAdarFarsi @focus_Magazin @derSpiegel pic.twitter.com/Jpj63gfCGJ

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) March 5, 2019

Stevenson describes how Der Spiegel’s unsupported and blatantly false claims were made all the worse as the magazine had been invited to visit Ashraf III, but editors rejected the invitation. Any print journalist would know that to carry out due diligence as a reporter and publish a piece with journalistic integrity, Der Spiegel had the responsibility to accept the MEK’s invitation and send reporters to Ashraf III. If they had, they would have immediately seen the claims for the lies and propaganda that they are.

Stevenson visited Ashraf III in 2018 and knows first hand what goes on in the camp.

MEP Describes Visit to MEK’s Residence -Ashraf 3

Reporting in This Way Glosses Over the Mullahs’ Atrocities

“This kind of horrible fake news and attempts to blacken and demonize the PMOI (MEK) simply plays into the hands of the mullahs,” Stevenson continued. “Not a mention in that article about the human rights atrocities that go on, on a daily basis, not a mention of the 30,000 political prisoners summarily executed in 1988,” he added.

When it publishes hit pieces against the pro-democratic opposition, the international media ignores these atrocities and becomes little more than a mouthpiece for the Iranian regime, attacking the opposition and glossing over the regime’s own violent deeds.

A Muted Response from European Governments and Institutions

Stevenson doesn’t lay the blame squarely at the foot of the media, although it has a lot to answer for. His book is also heavily critical of Europe’s institutions. He criticizes Federica Mogherini, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, for what he calls, “her continued attempts to appease the mullahs” and ignore their blatant human rights abuses in Iran.

For Stevenson, her inaction has been inexcusable. “They [the mullahs] have used their own so-called diplomats in Europe to perpetrate acts of terrors, trying to commit atrocities on European soil!” he exclaimed.

#Breaking Watch Live:"State of Affairs in Iran in 2019 after a year of popular protests" ASHRAF III, RISING From th… https://t.co/yJ2ds51EpG

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) March 5, 2019

“A Pivotal Moment in World History”

Europe’s inaction is particularly damning because Stevenson asserts, we are at a pivotal moment in the history of the Iranian regime. “We are witnessing the final collapse of the theocratic dictatorship in Iran,” he said, “I think it is a pivotal moment in world history.”

Stevenson asserts that Europe and international governments are faced with a choice; they can choose to back the violent dictatorship in their repression and human rights violations, or they can back the Iranian people in their fight for freedom and democracy.

Stevenson was clear about which side he would back. He concluded, “I know which side I am on, thank you very much.”

Staff Writer

On Tuesday, February 26, 2019, Struan Stevenson, a former member of the European Parliament (MEP) and frequent Iran commentator wrote his latest piece for UPI. His op-ed called on women in the West to lend their support to Iranian women in their fight to break free from the repressive policies of the Iranian regime.

My new article in @UPI on repression of #women in #Iran under the mullahs
Good news: The opposition is headed by a charismatic female leader @Maryam_Rajavi
"Western women must show solidarity with repressed '#Iranian sisters"#MEK #humanrightshttps://t.co/FOZLmgUNxt

— STRUAN (@STRUANSTEVENSON) February 26, 2019

Stevenson calls Iranian women, “among the most repressed in the world, ruled by a regime dominated by elderly, bearded misogynists.”

For this reason, Iranian women have played a central role in the Iranian opposition movement. They have been central figures in the protest movement that has swept across all 31 of Iran’s provinces. “Female teachers, medical staff, students, factory workers, and pensioners have taken to the streets to demand an end to corruption, and an end to discrimination and repression and an end to the clerical regime’s aggressive military adventurism across the Missile East,” Stevenson writes.

Leading Figures in the Calls for Regime Change

The largest voices in the calls for Iranian regime change come from the most influential and popular opposition group, the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). Within the MEK, many of the senior leadership is made up of women. Its leader, the president-elect Maryam Rajavi, is also female and is held in high esteem by political figures from around the world.

Women, in particular, have been mobilized by the regime’s repressive policies and discriminatory practices towards women. Stevenson describes some of these laws, “in Iran, women are considered the property of their closest male relative and have no legal rights. Girls of 9 can be married off by their parents.”

In the Iranian legal system, evidence provided by a woman is worth half that provided by a man. As a result, women cannot charge a man with rape unless they have four credible witnesses, a near impossibly high standard.

A Violent and Aggressive Brand of Fundamentalism

Prior to the 1979 revolution that brought the mullahs and their regime to power, Khomeini criticized the Shah’s permissive attitude towards women voting. He cited an extremist interpretation of Islamic teaching and called gender equality a “defiance of some of the explicit commandments of the Qoran.”

Following the revolution, as expected, Khomeini retracted many women’s rights. The regime prevents females riding bicycles, forces them to wear the hijab, and scrutinized the way they dress.

Under the clerical regime, gender violence has drastically increased. Stevenson says, “girls who were deemed to be improperly dressed in the street have suffered horrific acid attacks and stabbings, in assaults openly condoned by the mullahs.” Even something as innocuous as dancing or singing on social media can be enough to get a girl flogged or fined.

Women Around the World Should Stand with Iran’s Women

In a public statement, the former first lady of Algeria, Anissa Boumediene pledged her support to Maryam Rajavi and the MEK. The statement read, “yes, we stand with you Maryam, as we stand with all our Iranian sisters in your fierce fight seeking to free Iranian women from what enchains and imprisons them.”

@STRUANSTEVENSON :"My new article in @UPI on repression of #women in #Iran under the mullahs.Good news: The opposition is headed by a charismatic female leader @Maryam_Rajavi."Western women must show solidarity with repressed '#Iranian sisters"#MEK #HumanRights " @GlobalCRL

— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) February 26, 2019

Stevenson concludes, “her words should resonate in the West, where female politicians and activists must show solidarity with their oppressed and brutalized Iranian sisters.” They can do this by pledging support to Maryam Rajavi and the MEK, who are fighting tirelessly for freedom, gender equality, and democratic secularism for Iran to give the nation’s daughters a brighter future.

Staff Writer

On Wednesday, February 13th, 2019, L. Todd Wood wrote a piece for the Washington Times criticizing the policy of appeasement towards the Iranian regime that has dominated US politics for the last four decades.

“Feb. 11 marks the historic victory of the anti-monarchic revolution in 1979 when nationwide protests by Iranian people toppled Shah’s dictatorship known for his notorious secret police, SAVAK, Evin prison, and the lavish spending of his corrupt regime.” -Soona Samsami #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/EbOvdzzr2C

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) February 11, 2019

The piece, entitled ‘Iran Resistance: 40 Years of Perceived US Appeasement’, begins with the coverage of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI’s) recent event held at the National Press Club in Washington DC. The NCRI or the parliament in exile of the Iranian opposition includes the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), the largest and most organized Iranian opposition group.

“The event began with remarks by US Ambassador J. Adam Ereli, who reviewed the difficult history the MEK has had with the American government,” Wood wrote. Consecutive US administrations “threw the MEK under the bus,” in an effort to appease the Iranian regime. Despite being a legitimate pro-democracy group, US administrations included the MEK on its terrorist blacklists, a move that was later overturned by the courts and deemed illegal.

Ambassador Adam Ereli on the Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution https://t.co/Z5d2n7inwh via @YouTube #FreeIran #OnThisDay #Iran

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) February 12, 2019

Ali Safavi of the NCRI said, “when we talk about the West’s 40-year policy in dealing with the Iranian regime, we can find a common thread throughout the past four decades: an attempt to work with the ruling theocracy… in the hopes of moderating its behavior.”

Far from moderating the mullahs’ behavior, this approach has emboldened them and allowed them to continue to abuse Iranian human rights with impunity and launch an international state-sponsored terrorist campaign. Safavi concludes, “appeasement has actually helped prolong the mullahs’ rule.”

On anniversary of the Iranian revolution, @amsafavi: "Western outlook amounted to a policy of appeasement that has actually helped prolong the mullahs’ rule" https://t.co/Z0W0xggYCW via @YouTube #FreeIran #IranRegimeChange

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) February 12, 2019

An End of Appeasement?

However, under the Trump administration, there have been signs that the US government is finally willing to end its decades-old policy of appeasement. The US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and re-introduced economic sanctions on the Iranian regime.

In the face of US pressure, coupled with domestic pressure from a rapidly expanding MEK-led protest movement, the regime is under intense pressure. The NCRI’s US representative Soona Samsami said at the groups National Press Club event, “the Iranian regime is weak and vulnerable. It lacks internal legitimacy.”

"There is an organized resistance, it has very organized leadership. We are talking about a non-nuclear Iran, we are talking about seperation of religion and state. There is a 3,000 year history of Iranian people rising up and claiming their rights." -Soona Samsami #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/JfFsbk8XcT

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) February 11, 2019

She continued, “the regime’s internal policies, its human rights violations and economic mismanagement have depleted its strategic capital. It has no solutions to these massive crises and no way to curb the uprising.” She concluded, “put simply, the regime is at a strategic dead-end.”

What Is the Alternative?

In his piece, L. Todd Wood makes it abundantly clear that appeasement is not the only option. The NCRI and the MEK have a viable democratic alternative to regime rule in Iran. Their president-elect Maryam Rajavi has a ten-point plan for realizing a democratic Iran following the fall of the regime.

Woods asserts that the West has a “historic opportunity… to bring about regime change in Iran by helping the MEK.” It can only realize this opportunity by breaking with tradition, ending its policy of appeasement, and supporting the MEK in its pursuit of Iranian democracy.

Staff Writer

During coverage of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s nine-nation tour of the Middle East, Fox News aired Pompeo’s speech he made on Friday, January 11^th.

In the speech, the Secretary of State denounced the Iranian regime’s “malign activity” as “creating enormous instability here in the region”. Pompeo announced that the US would arrange a world summit on Iran, to be held in Poland in February 2019, where the international community would explore avenues of curbing the regime’s influence in the region.

I am pleased to announce that the U.S. and #Poland will jointly host the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East in Warsaw on Feb. 13-14. It will be a forum for countries to address a range of critical issues toward a more peaceful Middle East. pic.twitter.com/IS8oPP4Aqs

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 11, 2019

Fox News interviewed Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the think-tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who spoke about his recent visit to the Middle East and meetings he had with top leaders in the region.

Dubowitz described leaders’ concerns about the Iranian regime and its “destructive and malign activities.”

He said, “dozens of countries, including the Europeans, understand, the Iranian regime is engaged in assassinations, support for terrorism, and building ballistic missiles,” he continued, “not to mention brutal human rights abuses within Iran.”

MEK, The Largest Opposition Group

Fox News then aired footage of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran’s (MEK’s) annual Grand Gathering, held outside Paris. Eric Shawn, the Fox News host, described how the Iranian regime had plotted to bomb the event, attended by more than 100,000 MEK supporters and allies from across the world.

The French Government Confirms “Without any Doubt” the Iranian Regime was Behind the Foiled Terror Attack

Shawn pointed out that among those in attendance were several former US officials, including Trump’s lawyer and former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who, Shawn said, “speak every year,” at the event.

Fox News aired comments from the Iranian opposition leader, Maryam Rajavi, in response to Pompeo’s speech in Cairo. Mrs. Rajavi said,

“the US Secretary of State reiterated that when America partners with enemies such as the mullahs, ‘they advance’ gaining access to weapons of mass destruction, violations of human rights, export of fundamentalism, and terrorism,” which Ms. Rajavi says, “are the four pillars holding up the theocratic regime ruling Iran.”

Maryam Rajavi President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), emphasized, “the ultimate solution for discarding the mullahs’ religious fascism is changing this illegitimate regime at the hands of the Iranian people and Resistance.”

Shawn put the question to Dubowitz, asking “can that ever be done?”

“These regimes are actually a lot weaker than you would expect,” Dubowitz asserted. “Hopefully within our lifetime, we will see the end of the Islamic Republic, which is the best guarantee for global security.”

 

This week a bipartisan coalition of American congressmen announced an initiative to support anti-regime protests in Iran. The Congressional event, which was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the ongoing nationwide protests in Iran, was an opportunity for congressmen from both sides of the aisle to both express their support for the protests and condemn Iran’s corrupt and brutal regime.

At OIAC event, Bipartisan lawmakers voice support for Iran uprising, condemn Tehran’s terrorism against dissidents https://t.co/u2evcV4OKi

— EIN News (@EIN_News) December 13, 2018

Judy Chu (D-CA) remarked that she was proud to co-sponsor the Congressional resolution that both condemns the Iranian regime for its sponsorship of terrorism and supports the people of Iran and their fight for a “free, democratic, and secular future.”

I’m proud to stand with the people of Iran who are courageously striving for a free and democratic future. pic.twitter.com/EWtVgZDi0l

— Judy Chu (@RepJudyChu) December 11, 2018

Thank you @RepMcClintock for expressing solidarity with #Iran ppl, supporting #FreeIran and introducing H.Res.1034 in the House condemning Iran #terrorism pic.twitter.com/iYuz9tdNzf

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) December 12, 2018

Tom McClintock (R-CA) specifically mentioned the MEK in his words of support for the resolution. McClintock said: “As the journey of the mullahs has become more extreme, the international resistance to them has become more resolute. We’ve seen this in the liberation of the MEK freedom fighters trapped in Iraq. [We’ve also] seen it with the 105 of my colleagues, here in the House of Representatives who co-sponsored my bill, House Resolution 1034 that we affirmed our committed support of the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran.”

The bipartisan group of congressmen noted that the outcome of the recent midterm elections in the U.S., which shifted the balance of power to the Democratic Party, would not change the United States’ commitment to the Iranian people and their fight for freedom from the oppressive Iranian regime.

 

Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) said: “The change of Congress will not stop us from fighting for victory. A new majority is in power [in the House of Representatives]. Please know that democracy will not be far from our heart, our mind and our lips.”

For the children of #Iran we want to ensure them free, democratic, secular non nuclear republic #FreeIran Thank you for being a champion of freedom, Happy Holidays to everyone! @JacksonLeeTX18 pic.twitter.com/CPdvmuUYOv

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) December 12, 2018

Steve Cohen (D-TN), Co-chair of the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus, also vowed to continue to condemn the

Iranian regime for its human rights violations and its support for terrorism.

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) noted that “It’s so important for the United States to not lose its focus [on Iran].”

Many of the congressmen present also used the occasion to note the influence of the Iranian Resistance in organizing the protests and how fearful the regime has become in the face of an uprising that could signal the end of the Islamic Republic.

"The next time I see you, we will all be in the streets of #FreeIran, do not give up, freedom is worth fighting for" #Iran will be a free society with the role of the daughters of democracy taking the lead in the streets" @JudgeTedPoe senior member of @HouseForeign speaking pic.twitter.com/LqiOMSt5xj

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) December 11, 2018

Ted Poe (R-TX) directly addressed the Iranian Americans in the audience, lauding them for their work on behalf of the Iranian people and for “keeping [the mullahs] awake at night.”

Thanks to Congressman @BradSherman for his support for a #FreeIran. @VOAIran @USAdarFarsi. This Holiday Season, we again work towards a #FreeIran – with and by the #Iranian people. No Foreign war, no appeasement of #Iran regime. pic.twitter.com/454pmBt81P

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) December 12, 2018

Brad Sherman (D-CA) specifically commended Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Opposition, for her work on behalf of women’s and minorities’ rights in Iran, while Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) addressed every member of the Iranian Resistance. He said: “The love of liberty burns in your heart. All the way from the time of Camp Ashraf where innocent people, unarmed people were being slaughtered by the mullahs’ regime…and yes, right now…all freedom loving people, in supporting those people who are now in the streets in Iran demanding that the mullahs leave.”

Staff Writer

The Iranian regime has made international headlines over the past few weeks, after an attempted terrorist attack on the annual gathering of the Iranian opposition and supporters of the MEK, was foiled when the terrorists were arrested with 500 grams of explosives in Belgium. The mastermind of the planned attack, Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat stationed in Vienna, was arrested in Germany and charged with espionage and conspiracy to commit murder for planning the attack.

 

Since the terrorist attack by the regime and its minions was thwarted on June 30th, many articles have been published in international media about the Iranian regime and the reasons for the attack.

 

The regime has repeatedly characterized the MEK as an organization with little power, but its actions prove differently. The regime, in fact, is afraid of the MEK, because it knows that it poses a viable alternative to the clerical regime, which is growing weaker each day. The Iranian regime is not only a government with the moral turpitude to carry out a terrorist act; it is also a government that would dispatch its diplomats to plan a terrorist attack against a resistance organization. This is a government desperate to hold onto power and terrified of the alternative to its rule. The regime is clearly afraid of the MEK and the threat it poses to its tenuous grip on power.

 

The regime took great risks to attempt this attack, and in fact, the attack failed, and an Iranian regime diplomat was arrested, causing massive upheaval within the ranks of the regime leadership and a diplomatic nightmare. For the regime to attempt such a daring terrorist attack and risk embarrassment on an international level, the fear of the MEK must have been great.

 

The MEK has always been the primary target of the mullahs’ ire, as it has been the group most likely to replace the mullahs’ tyrannical rule with democracy and freedom.

 

Recent reports indicate that the regime has resorted to sending its own people to staged rallies by those claiming to be part of the opposition movement. The Jomhouri daily published a report on June 26th about regime operatives infiltrating rallies:

“This crowd (of Khamenei operatives) have become so audacious that a number of them were seen directing a group of people towards the parliament with chants of ‘Long live Reza Shah’ (referring to the Pahlavi dynasty in power prior to the 1979 revolution). They were also escorted by the police. These people are the same group of individuals seen taking part in Friday prayers and the various marches.”

The regime grows more desperate by the day as the Iranian opposition (the MEK), grows stronger. It is clear that the ruling powers are afraid of the resistance. The people are ready for change. The time has come to make that change a reality.

Staff Writer

Donald Trump’s appointment of John Bolton as the president’s national security adviser is a strong indication of the stance Trump will adopt towards the Iran deal. The president has until May 12^th to amend the Iran nuclear deal with his Chinese, European and Russian partners. John Bolton’s tough, no-nonsense approach will be a valuable addition to the negotiations.

Who is John Bolton?

John Bolton is a highly principled adviser with experience in the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations. He was undersecretary for Arms Control from 2001 to 2005 and also completed a brief spell as ambassador to the United Nations, where he promoted non-proliferation resolutions towards North Korea and Iran.

He has previously been a prominent supporter of regime change in Iran and expressed solidarity with the Iranian opposition, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK). He spoke at a MEK-organised event in Paris last year where he discussed the importance of regime change in Tehran.

He is a shrewd adviser with a deep knowledge of the balance of power and influence around the globe. His experience in both the UN and previous presidential administrations has also equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of governmental bureaucracy. In what is arguably the most influential position in the US foreign policy mechanism, he should be able to bring US foreign policy to apply further pressure to the oppressive Iranian regime.

Bolton represents a new chapter in US policy towards Iran

Rather than persist with the decades-old policy of appeasement towards the Iranian government, Bolton’s appointment could indicate the beginning of a firmer policy towards Iran.

The Iranian regime has been uncooperative to demands from the international community. Bolton would prefer to take a more aggressive stance with Hassan Rouhani. While he does not advocate military intervention, he would prefer to see tougher sanctions that would leave Rouhani’s regime with no other option but to comply and abandon their hard-line, disruptive policies, or face economic ruin.

This would bring US policy into alignment with the position of the Iranian people

Recent MEK-organised demonstrations show the appetite of the Iranian people for change. Tens of thousands of protestors flooded the streets across the country demanding regime change. This was just the beginning. Maryam Rajavi, MEK leader and president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has called for the new year to be a “year full of uprisings”.

It is in the interests of the United States to adopt a stance towards the Iranian regime that reflects the will of the Iranian public. The mullahs in Iran have tried to suppress the democratic message of the MEK. However, it is now resonating across Iran’s rural and urban populations.

The MEK also enjoys bipartisan support across the US Congress and Senate. Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean and Bill Richardson have all expressed solidarity with the MEK and supported regime change in Iran. Senior advisers in the Obama administration, like James Jones, also advocated a tougher stance against Hassan Rouhani’s government. With both the Iranian public and both sides of the House demanding a tougher attitude towards the Iranian regime, the time is right for Trump to adjust the position of the White House.

John Bolton might be the man to steer the US ship towards regime change in Iran. The title of his memoir, Surrender Is Not an Option, says it all. In Iran, surrender is not an option. The stakes are too high. The people have spoken. They want regime change. Now it is time for the international communities to help bring the will of the people to fruition. The days of US appeasement to Iran may be numbered. It is time to usher in a new chapter in US-Iran relations.