Who is the alternative to Iran’s regime?

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

June 22, 2018 - Following the ongoing Dec/Jan protests aimed at bringing freedom for Iran’s suffering people, there are two vital issues at hand:

1. Overthrowing the mullahs’ dictatorship
2. The alternative to this regime

The more we trek forward, the question of who is this regime’s alternative becomes all the more imperative. In such sensitive circumstances it is quite natural to see many parties claiming to be the alternative to Tehran’s mullahs.

It is also natural that all groups and individuals, associated or non-associated to a third party, those willing to sacrifice and opportunists seeking to jump at the opportunity, are surfacing and claiming to be patriotic in nature and opposing the ruling apparatus.

This resembles the end of winter and the arrival spring, bringing about the birth of plants. Alongside flowers, however, we also witness the growth of weeds. Next to flowers we see tall and powerful trees full of leaves and blossoms.

When the air speaks of a revolution and change, there are many parties seen rising from their sleep ready to hijack the ruling state, and willing to resort to any and all deceptive measure necessary.

They begin to claim of having a long struggle history against the ruling regime, forging records of years in jail and enduring torture. Worst of all, through demonizing propaganda, they begin to hinder the efforts of truly democratic entities seeking to bring about real change.

In such circumstances, the question is who is the true alternative to Iran’s regime?

The history of revolutions across the globe provide the following realities:

1) An alternative organ has members willing to sacrifice their all, and its enmity against the ruling regime is crystal clear for all parties.

This entity, involved in a continuous war against  the enemy, has seen many of its members lose their lives fighting for their people.

This entity also has seen many of its members imprisoned by different regimes ruling their country. These prisoners are resilient in the face of torture and harsh conditions, leading to their execution.

This entity has complete faith in its objective, being freedom for its people.

2) This alternative has roots in its nation and has risen for their cause.

3) This alternative has access and relies on popular sources for its intelligence. When the enemy launches massive clampdowns, this alternative’s roots amongst the people allows it to obtain intelligence from the ruling regime and expose their true nature to the outside world.

For example, the revelations made by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) regarding the Iranian regime’s clandestine nuclear program.

4) A true alternative should not be associated to any foreign power. It must be independent to the very meaning of the world and especially rely financially on its people and supporters.

5) This alternative must have a strong, democratic organization.

6) This alternative must have a specific leadership established around the cause of opposing the ruling regime and through the years proving its honesty and competence. The leadership must be fully involved in the struggle against the ruling dictatorship, paying the very price of all the sufferings.

7) This alternative must represent people from all walks of life in society and focus its efforts to establish a democratic state.

8) This alternative must be recognized on a global scale and establish this recognition through years of struggle.

Looking at Iran, the only entity fitting such criteria is the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a parliament-in-exile led by NCRI President Maryam Rajavi.

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30^th in Paris to express their support for democratic change in Iran.

Visit this website for more information about the Iranian opposition convention.

A Viable Democratic Alternative to the Iranian Regime

By Ken Blackwell | June 22, 2018 | 4:14 PM EDT

One could easily argue that Iran’s ruling theocracy is facing the greatest internal threat to its rule since the 1980s. In the beginning of this year, the country was rocked by a mass uprising. The chain of protests was a major step forward for the domestic Resistance movement in the sense that it extracted political activism from farmers and the rural poor, despite the fact that these groups had long been thought to tolerate or even support the clerical regime.

The December-to-January uprising was comprised of protests in upwards of 140 cities and towns spanning the entire country. And this diversity has remained on display in the ensuing months, as activist networks and entire populations continue to organize more localized demonstrations, in keeping with the call-to-action issued in March by Maryam Rajavi, the president of theNational Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition headed by the principle Iranian Resistance group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

On the occasion of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, Mrs. Rajavi stated “the coming year can and must be turned into a year full of uprisings,” which must continue “until final victory.” The NCRI has elaborately outlined what “final victory” might look like, and it entails the wholesale removal of the existing regime, and its replacement with a democratic system. Rajavi has articulated a ten-point plan describing the framework of this system, complete with free and fair elections, secular governance, safeguards on the rights of women and minorities, and a commitment to peaceful relations with Iran’s neighbors.

So as Iran’s domestic situation and Western policies toward the Islamic Republic both contend with periods of upheaval, it is important to address two essential questions. Firstly, can the “final victory” predicted by Mrs. Rajavi actually be achieved? And secondly, if the clerical regime can indeed be driven out of power, what comes next?

MARYAM RAJAVI: FOR FREEDOM, FROM MOSADDEGH TO JANUARY 2018 UPRISING CATEGORIES // Messages

Mosaddegh’s tenure was a unique example of a government that defended its people’s rights and national interests, was devoid of corruption and tyranny, and was especially characterized an unwavering struggle for national freedom and independence

On the anniversary of the demise of Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh, leader of Iran’s Nationalist Movement, on March 15, 1967, we salute his exalted soul and renew our pledge to continue and advance his path for the happiness of the Iranian nation.

Mosaddegh became an acclaimed international icon for taking bold action to nationalize Iran’s Oil Industry on March 20, 1952, an unforgettable landmark in Iran’s history. By leading this struggle, Mosaddegh became a great teacher of patriotism and an unwavering struggle for independence for Iranian people and nations of the Middle East.

In the first year after he seized power, Khomeini said, “Our path is not the path of oil… Oil nationalization is not an issue for us. It is wrong… to set Islam aside and praise someone who has nationalized the oil.”

Khomeini and his heirs thus established a dreadful dictatorship instead of democracy and freedom which the people of Iran aspired for. They also squandered the country’s oil and put it on sale.

Khomeini and his heirs resent Mosaddegh not only for his brilliant victory in nationalizing the oil, but for the valuable steps he took to put an end to despotism, corruption and poverty and bring democracy to the various realms of life in Iran. He threaded a road which was totally different from those of the Shah and Khomeini.

The pleasant memory of Mosaddegh’s brief tenure has remained in the nation’s mind since he promoted a nationalist and democratic program which was very progressive in his time.

The popular uprising on July 21, 1952, helped him pass his nine-point plan in the parliament. The plan enabled Mosaddegh to balance Iran’s foreign trade-- an unprecedented phenomenon in Iran’s history-- despite cessation of oil revenues, through imposing severe control on imports and reducing public expenses. He also managed to balance the country’s domestic budget.

For the first and last time in Iran’s history, Mosaddegh succeeded to relieve the country’s reliance on oil revenues for income. His administration introduced a range of progressive social, financial, administrative and political reforms despite tough opposition. He initiated extensive reforms in the Army, in health and education, in the judiciary and legal proceedings, and annulled the special and extraordinary courts.

Mosaddegh introduced reforms based on which landowners had to turn over 10 per cent of their revenues to their tenants. According to the new land reforms, the lands owned by the government were divided into small pieces and sold to the public to build their own housing, as a result of which house rent was lowered for low income families.

Mosaddegh was in office for only 28 months but his brief tenure was a unique example of a government that defended its people’s rights and national interests, was devoid of corruption and tyranny, and was especially characterized by an unwavering struggle for national freedom and independence.

As Massoud Rajavi once reiterated, “Mosaddegh was not an individual but represented a cause. He was targeted from all directions for his cause which cherished independence, freedom, and an unwavering struggle against foreign colonialism, and against domestic dictatorship and fundamentalism.”

The Shah’s path characterized by authoritarianism and dependence on foreign powers failed. The path of religious tyranny also failed.

Inspired by Mosaddegh and the Mojahedin (PMOI), Iran’s young generations have risen up today in dozens of cities across the country. They have a big question: Why doesn’t Iran have a democratic government despite its rich and progressive culture and despite abundant material and human resources?

This is the fundamental question that has made Iran’s people restless in achieving freedom, democracy and equality.

Mosaddegh said, “I will struggle to the last breath for freedom and independence of this country.”

We also pledge to continue the fight for the overthrow of the clerical dictatorship and not relent until the aspirations of our nation for a free, prosperous land free from all forms of discrimination are realized.

WHY MARYAM RAJAVI BELIEVES IRANIAN WOMEN SHOULD BE FREE TO DRESS FREELY

by Mahmood Hakamian 

Last week, we featured a piece on gender equality and how it is imperative to the Iranian Resistance movement. In that piece, we outlined ten areas that Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) would tackle in order to make gender equality a reality in a Free Iran.

One of those areas was freedom of dress and today we will examine why Maryam Rajavi believes that choice in clothing is such an important area to achieve gender equality in.
What are the laws regarding women’s clothing in Iran?

Under the mullahs’ Sharia law, women are supposed to remain veiled in public. The law is incredibly unpopular in Iran and many women defy it at any given opportunity.

When was this law introduced?

The mandatory Hijab was introduced in the early days of the Iranian Regime and many Iranian women, especially those involved in the NCRI member group the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), protested against it and held demonstrations to oppose the law.

How does Maryam Rajavi feel about forced veiling?

As we said in our earlier piece, Maryam Rajavi believes that women should be free to choose their own clothing and that the government should not interfere. She believes that the forced veiling law, along with every other sexist law that deprives women of their individual rights, turns the country into a prison for women.

Maryam Rajavi said: “Iranian women must be free. They must be free to choose what they believe in, what they want to wear and how they want to live. And [the Iranian Resistance repeats]: no to compulsory veil; no to compulsory religion; and no to compulsory government.”

What happens to the women who defy the mandatory hijab law?

If the women are caught by the so-called morality police, over 20 police entities who are in charge of enforcing the religious laws of Iran and suppressing people caught drinking alcohol or attending mixed-gender parties, then they can face arrests, fines, torture, floggings, beatings, rape, or any other inhumane punishment that the Regime authorities can think up.

Why does the Regime react so harshly?

The Regime is increasingly unstable and has to come down hard on any form of dissent in order to keep their tenuous grip on power.

Maryam Rajavi said: “Clamping down on women on the pretext of mal-veiling is one of the most effective means to repress society and silence any voice of dissent. The mullahs have no scruples in enchaining women on so-called religious grounds.”

She continued: “Misogyny is at the core of suppression against society as a whole, since preserving the ruling theocracy is predicated on it. Such misogyny does not arise from blind, religious zealotry or trying to safeguard societal chastity, or even preserving the foundation of the family. Misogyny under the cloak of religion has become systematic and persistent because it is a lever to maintain the monopolistic domination of the velayat-e faqih. Misogyny is the raison d'être for dozens of the regime’s suppressive agencies.”

What would Maryam Rajavi do about forced veiling?

Maryam Rajavi would repeal the forced veiling law and any employment legislation that allow workplaces to fire or discriminate against women who do not wear the hijab.

Maryam Rajavi said: “Written or unwritten laws on controlling the clothing or behaviour of women under the rubric of “mal-veiling,” which have violated Iranian women’s right to freedom and security, shall have no place in tomorrow’s Iran.”

Maryam Rajavi speaks at International Women's Day event in Paris

On February 17, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, addressed the conference "Women Force for Change, Iran Uprising and the Role of Women". During her address, she spoke about the role of women in standing up to the regime.

International Women's Day Conference – Paris 2018

A conference entitled, “Women Force for Change, Iran Uprising and the Role of Women,” held in Paris on Saturday, February 17, 2018, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day.

 The keynote speaker at this conference was the NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.

Dozens of prominent women including political personalities, lawmakers, jurists, judges, and women’s rights advocates from 23 countries in five continents participated and declared their solidarity with the women of Iran, the Iranian Resistance, and the Iranian people’s uprising.

A delegation of mothers of martyrs, a delegation of Iranian women’s associations and rights activists, as well as a delegation of youth supporting the Iranian Resistance also spoke at the conference.

Maryam Rajavi and the Plan for Women’s Rights in Iran

There are ten areas that Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) see as in need of improvement in terms of gender equality in Iran.

Let’s explore those ten areas and how Maryam Rajavi would tackle them in more detail.

1. Fundamental freedoms and rights

Maryam Rajavi believes that women should have the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as men and vows to ban any type of discrimination against women, in order to ensure that women are equal to men in all economic, social and political spheres.

2. Legal Equality

Maryam Rajavi believes that women and men should have equal protection under the law. Thus, she would:

• raise of the criminal age of responsibility for girls in Iran to 18

• make courts recognise that testimonies and affidavits from women hold equal weight to those from men

• guarantee women’s access to the police and the courts in cases of violence, rape and sexual assault, discrimination, and deprivation of liberty

3. Clothing

Maryam Rajavi believes that women should choose their own clothing without governmental interference, so she would repeal the law on mandatory hijab/veiling and repeal laws that allow employers to dictate the wearing of the hijab.

4. Equal political participation

Maryam Rajavi thinks that women should be allowed to equally participate in political leadership, including:

• formulation and implementation of government policy

• the holding of public office

• the ability to perform all public functions at all levels of government

Therefore, Maryam Rajavi would remove any law banning or limit women’s occupation of senior posts in the government and the judiciary. She would also implement a system when at least half of senior government positions must be given to women and at least half of the candidates for election from any political party must be women. This system is already in place at the NCRI and has worked well to promote equality.

5. Economic Equality

Maryam Rajavi believes that women and men should have equal economic rights, including equal opportunities in the job market, equal pay and equal employment rights. Maryam Rajavi also believes that women should have equal access to men in terms of inheritance, entering contracts, and property management.

6. Equality in the family sphere

Maryam Rajavi thinks that women should have equal rights in family life, which means the freedom to marry or divorce as they see fit (without coercion) and that both parents are responsible for child-rearing, which means that they have equal rights over the children.

Maryam Rajavi would ban underage marriage, polygamy, and any governmental interference into the private lives of women.

7. Criminalising violence

Along with banning the death penalty and torture, Maryam Rajavi would also criminalise rape, various other forms of violence against women, acts of intimidation, and the forcible deprivation of women’s freedoms.

8. Banning sexual exploitation

Maryam Rajavi wants women to be protected from sexual exploitation, so she would ban the sex trade, the trafficking of women, and forcing women into prostitution.

9. Repealing Sharia law

The repeal of the mullahs’ Sharia laws by Maryam Rajavi would remove many sexist laws that the Regime wanted in place, including stoning as a punishment and the acceptance of crimes against women.

10. Social benefits

Maryam Rajavi believes that women must have equal access with men to social benefits relating to retirement, unemployment, old age and other forms of disability, and that women from marginalised groups should receive special financial, educational and medical support from the government.

Maryam Rajavi also believes that pregnant women and new mothers should have rights to maternity leave, medical care, and government-funded daycare when they return to work.

La Résistance Iranienne formule ses voeux à Auvers-sur-Oise

Les vœux de Maryam Radjavi, chef de file de l’Organisation des moudjahiddines du peuple iranien (OMPI), avaient une tonalité particulièrement optimiste cette année. « En Iran, 2018 a apporté un vent de liberté. J’espère que cette année, sera l’année de victoire de la liberté en Iran » a déclaré la présidente du C
onseil national de la Résistance iranienne. Comme d’habitude, de nombreuses personnalités locales et au-delà ont assisté aux festivités de nouvelle année organisées par l’OMPI dans son siège d’Auvers-sur-Oise. Outre les maires de Magny-en-Vexin, Jean-Pierre Muller (DVG), de Mériel, Jean-Louis Delannoy (DVD), ou encore Bruno Macé (SE), élu de Villiers-Adam, on trouvait dans le public Mgr Jacques Gaillot ou l’ancienne première dame d’Algérie Mme Anissa Boumedienne.

Maryam Rajavi: U.N. & Security Council's History Page on Iran Turned by the Protesters

London, 6 Jan - If you persist, the world will stand with you and on your side.

Ending the silence on Iran and shattering a 4-decade-old barrier of appeasement of the regime, the UN Security Council’s meeting on Iran is a product of the Iranian people’s u

prising, the sacrifice of its martyrs and the suffering of its captives. The world’s major governments had so far turned a blind eye on brutal suppression of our people and executions of 120,000. Iran’s protesters and youths, however, have in their first step turned the page of the United Nations and Security Council’s history on Iran. This indicates that the young men and women who rose up in the streets of Izeh, Doroud, Tuyserkan, Ghahdarijan, Jouyabad of Isfahan, and 75 other cities can and must turn the darkest page of Iran’s history.

As the Iranian Resistance’s Leader, Massoud Rajavi, said, “If you persist, the world will stand with you and on your side.”

Trump Iran speech emboldening ordinary Iranians to speak out against regime

President Donald Trump followed up his Iran speech announcing that he would not be certifying the Iran nuclear deal by also making clear his administration stood in solidarity with ordinary Iranians. Just two days later, thousands of Iranians marched against the regime over charges of corruption. Some experts say the protesters were newly emboldened by Trump’s speech.

Speaking exclusively to Fox News before the protests, Maryam Rajavi, the head of that country’s most visibly active opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said that Trump’s new policy toward Iran gives ordinary Iranians hope.

“The Iranian people welcome a new approach by the U.S. government, recognizing the suffering of the Iranian people under the regime, ending years of misguided policy and siding with the Iranian people in their desire for regime change and the establishment of freedom and democracy,” she said in a recorded statement from her exiled headquarters near Paris.

Senior U.S. Senate Delegation Meets with NCRI President-elect Rajavi

In a move that must frustrate the Iranian regime and its mullahs, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) President-elect Maryam Rajavi hosted a senior Senate delegation from the United States on August 12, 2017. The meeting was held in the Albanian capital of Tirana. During the gathering, the two groups discussed the current situation of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Albania, the latest developments in Iran and the Middle East, and solutions to end the current crisis sweeping that region.

The Senate delegation was comprised of Senators Roy Blunt, Vice President of the Republican Conference, and member of the Appropriation, Select Intelligence, Rules and Administration, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees; John Cornyn, the Majority Whip, and a member of the Judiciary, Select Intelligence, and Finance committees; and Thom Tillis, a member of the Armed Services, Judiciary, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

The meeting was initiated by Senator Roy Blunt, who led the delegation in congratulating the MEK for the safe and secure relocation of all Camp Liberty residents out of Iraq. They also wished the group well in its efforts to secure democracy and human rights in Iran.

Mrs. Rajavi, after thanking the senators for their decisive position on the Iranian regime, emphasized that contrary to the propaganda by the Iranian regime’s apologists, the ruling theocracy was rotten to the core and very fragile. Without foreign support, especially the policy of appeasement pursued in the U.S. and Europe, it would not have survived so long. She added that regime change in Iran is necessary and a viable and democratic alternative exists that could make a successful regime change possible. Mrs. Rajavi said equating regime change by the Iranian people for democracy with war and instability in the region is a sheer lie, the source of which is the Iranian regime’s lobby in western capitals. They demagogically turn the truth on its head, she noted, adding that the overthrow of the Tehran regime was a prerequisite to ending crisis and war in the Middle East.

As part of the meeting, some steps that the NCRI believes necessary for the international community to undertake regarding Iran were discussed. These included imposing comprehensive sanctions on the Iranian regime’s banking and oil sector, expelling the IRGC and its affiliated militias from the Middle East, and taking urgent steps to punish the regime for the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.

The Senate delegation also met with MEK members that witnessed or were victims of the regime in Iran and within Iraq at Camps Liberty and Ashraf.

WHY IS TEHRAN TERRIFIED OF US SENATORS MEETING WITH THE IRANIAN OPPOSITION?

by Amir Basiri

Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., met with National Council of Resistance of Iran President Maryam Rajavi and members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Rajavi thanked the senators for their firm position toward Iran, especially the adoption of new sanctions against the ruling regime and the Revolutionary Guards for their human rights abuses, Iran's ballistic missile program, and the export of terrorism.

The Iranian regime has constantly tried to downplay the role and influence of the opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and its main constituent, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), by portraying them as marginal and insignificant. Yet, its mainstream media a

nd top officials are constantly betraying the regime's real feelings and fear of the group.

The latest episode came after U.S. senators visited the organization's headquarters in Tirana, Albania. Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., met with NCRI President Maryam Rajavi and members of the MEK, and discussed the latest developments in Iran and the Middle East as well as solutions to end the current crisis in that region.

Rajavi thanked the senators for their firm position toward Iran, especially the adoption of new sanctions against the ruling regime and the Revolutionary Guards for their human rights abuses, Iran's ballistic missile program, and the export of terrorism.

Less than a day later, dozens of mainstream media outlets representing all factions and branches of the Iranian regime expressed concern about the lawmakers' visit, calling it a provocative move meant to cause instability in Iran.

The visit comes as the Trump administration is reviewing its policy toward Iran's nefarious activities, and cabinet officials have hinted at supporting regime change, a goal that the MEK and NCRI have been calling for since 1981.

The Iranian regime and its backers in the West try to portray support for regime change as a path that will lead to another military invasion in the region, and a possible repeat of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. However, the NCRI believes that the Iranian people and their resistance movement are fully capable of achieving regime change without the need for a foreign intervention.

In her meeting with the senators, Rajavi emphasized that contrary to the propaganda by the Iranian regime's apologists, the ruling theocracy is rotten to the core and very fragile. Without foreign support, especially the policy of appeasement pursued in the U.S. and Europe, it would not have survived so long.

She added that regime change in Iran is necessary and within reach because a viable and democratic alternative exists.

The Iranian regime is increasingly extremely worried about the momentum that is building around the NCRI's goal. In April, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., made a similar trip to Albania and met with the MEK and NCRI's leadership. Other U.S. dignitaries and politicians attended the group's annual rally in Paris last month, where they underlined the necessity for regime change in Iran.

The regime is also having trouble containing MEK's increased activism inside Iran. In the run-up to the May's presidential elections, despite the numerous threats issued by regime officials and Iran's security apparatus, the group's supporters carried out widespread campaigns across Iran, denouncing the undemocratic nature of the elections and exposing the criminal history of the candidates.

The trip of U.S. lawmakers to Tirana is one more problem the Iranian regime will have to deal with as it is faced with an opposition that is growing in influence and support, and it no longer has the advantage of a U.S. administration geared toward appeasement and concessions.

Senior US Senators meet Iran opposition leader in Albania

1. 

While August seems usually a passive time of the year in politics, it has been quite the opposite for Iran and the wide variety of developments around this controversial international dossier.

A senior delegation of United States Senators travelled to Tirana, the capital of Albania, today, August 12, 2017, to meet the Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, who heads the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

The delegation, Senators Roy Blunt, Vice President of the Republican Conference, and member of the Appropriation, Select Intelligence, Rules and Administration, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation committees; John Cornyn, the Majority Whip, and a member of the Judiciary, Select Intelligence, and Finance committees; and Thom Tillis, a member of the Armed Services, Judiciary, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees, also visited members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in the Albanian capital.

The NCRI is a political coalition calling for regime change in Iran and considered the main threat to Tehran’s mullahs. The MEK is the main member of this coalition of a variety of Iranian dissident groups and individuals.

“Led by Senator Blunt, the delegation congratulated the safe and secure relocation of all Camp Liberty residents outside of Iraq and wished them success in their struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran,” according to an NCRI statement.

Rajavi expressed her gratitude for the tireless efforts of the U.S. Senate, particularly Senator Blunt, regarding the protection of thousands of MEK members in Iraq, and their safe relocation to Albania.

Senator Blunt was among several American dignitaries, including senior former officials, who at a July 2014 Senate briefing strongly condemned Iran’s highly destructive role in Iraq. While describing Tehran as part of the problem plaguing Baghdad and the entire country, Senator Blunt joined the initiative in demanding the urgent transfer of PMOI/MEK members stationed in a former US military base known as Camp Liberty near the Iraqi capital.

Senator Blunt and his colleagues John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and former Senator Carl Levin had urged former Secretary of State John Kerry to “press for the protection of Camp Liberty and to expedite the resettlement of the Camp Residents to countries outside Iraq, including the United States.”

ANALYSIS: Congress is taking the lead on Iran policy

By Heshmat Alavi

A visit by a high-profile delegation of American Senators to Albania, home to members of the Iranian opposition, is sending major signals and messages to Tehran about growing consensus in Washington over the necessity to adopt regime change policy in the face of the mullahs’ belligerence.

The Senate delegation consisted of Senators Roy Blunt, Vice President of the Republican Conference, and member of the Appropriation, Select Intelligence, Rules and Administration, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation committees; John Cornyn, the Majority Whip, and a member of the Judiciary, Select Intelligence, and Finance committees; and Thom Tillis, a member of the Armed Services, Judiciary, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

The delegation met with Iranian opposition Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Tirana, discussing recent developments in the Middle East and Iran’s menacing role.

“Maryam Rajavi thanked the Senators for their decisive position vis-à-vis the Iranian regime, especially the adoption of a new resolution which imposed sanctions on the clerical regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) for human rights abuses, the ballistic missile program, and the export of terrorism. She expressed gratitude for the efforts of the U.S. Senate, particularly Senator Blunt, regarding the protection of thousands of MEK members in Camp Liberty, Iraq, and their safe relocation to Albania,” according to a NCRI statement.

Destructive meddling

Back in July 2014 several senior American figures, including Senator Blunt, staged a Senate briefing strongly condemning Iran’s destructive meddling in its western neighbor, Iraq. Characterizing the Iranian regime as part of the problem and not the solution, Senator Blunt emphasized on his demand for the PMOI/MEK members’ urgent and speedy transfer from Camp Liberty – a ransacked and deserted former US base near Baghdad International Airport west of the capital – to countries abroad in an effort to save their lives.

Senators John McCain and Jeanne Shaheen, joined by then Senator Carl Levin, former chairman of the Armed Forces Committee, issued a strong letter to former Secretary of State John Kerry seeking “protection of Camp Liberty and to expedite the resettlement of the Camp Residents to countries outside Iraq, including the United States.”

Senator McCain himself had back in April became the most senior US official to visit the PMOI/MEK in Albania. McCain is known to be a very vocal critic of the Iranian regime’s policies and actions, and a staunch supporter of the Iranian opposition in their struggle for regime change to establish freedom and democracy.

During his visit to Tirana McCain met with Iranian opposition leader NCRI President Maryam Rajavi, evaluating issues in relations to Iran’s belligerence across the Middle East and the struggle of the PMOI/MEK’s residency in Albania. His participation in a PMOI/MEK event sent alarm bells across Tehran, terrifying of the mullahs Washington coming in line with the Iranian opposition was receiving after their departure from Iraq.

Comprehending fully the potential threats posed by their opposition, the Iranian regime had long sought to annihilate the PMOI/MEK during their stay in Iraq. These Iranian opposition members were stationed in Ashraf, a city north of Baghdad, which they had built from scratch from 1986 onward. Ashraf residents were, however, forced to transfer to Camp Liberty following three ground attacks by Iraqi government forces and a logistical/medical siege from 2009 onward, all at the best of Tehran.

Tehran’s proxies

Tehran’s proxies continued their onslaught by launching five rocket and missile attacks targeting Camp Liberty, parallel to the Iraqi government continuing its blockade. More than 160 Ashraf and Liberty residents lost their lives and over 1,000 others injured. These attacks prompted the international community to support the PMOI/MEK in their transfer from Iraq to safe havens in numerous European countries. Most have currently settled in Albania.

Saturday’s significant meeting comes at a major turning point in US-Iran relations. Congress recently adopted new and comprehensive sanctions and President Donald Trump immediately signed the measures into law.

Tehran is extremely concerned over the NCRI and PMOI/MEK gaining growing recognition, especially considering the fact that the Trump administration is in the midst of weighing its comprehensive Iran policy. More than ever before regime change is becoming the most likely option for Washington’s Iran dogma.

Only a year ago the Iranian regime was placing its entire weight behind measures aimed at having its opposition – then seeking to pull out its last remaining members from Iraq – completely annihilated.

Many consider the progress made by the NCRI and PMOI/MEK as unprecedented and the necessary campaign to turn the tide against Tehran’s regime. After nearly 40 years of rendering havoc and destruction, it is high time the international community acknowledge the Iranian people and their organized opposition in their endeavor to bring about change in Iran with the objective of establishing freedom and democracy in Tehran.