Iranian dissident leader sees troubled regime entering ‘its final stages’

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the world’s largest Iranian dissident organization, which seeks to replace Iran’s theocratic regime with a democracy, provided the following exclusive answers to questions from The Washington Times. Her comments come on the heels of a major NCRI rally in Berlin on June 29, where tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the Iranian regime. NCRI and its associate group, the exiled People’s Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK), also held a major indoor rally in Paris over the same weekend, which included speeches by former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and hundreds of other current and former officials. The interview was conducted before the runoff presidential vote Friday in Iran.

Ms. Rajavi’s responses have been edited for length.

Question: How has the Iranian regime’s involvement in the Middle East conflicts affected the stability of the region?

Answer: Today, the regime is in its final stages and all its decisions are aimed at delaying its inevitable overthrow. The developments unfolding today in the region are the result of the conclusion [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei reached in the aftermath of the uprisings of 2022. … Like other dictators, he seeks to confront internal crises and the explosive social situation by fabricating external conflicts. The expansion of the regime’s proxies is a consequence of years of appeasement policies towards the mullahs’ regime. At no point in its modern history has the Middle East been so engulfed in instability and war.

Q: What are the viable ways to stop Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region?

A: The Iranian Resistance has long emphasized that the main root of warmongering, crisis and instability in the Middle East region is the religious fascism ruling Iran. This fact can be witnessed in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen. This is why we say that we should target the head of the belligerent snake, i.e., the Tehran regime. Decisiveness is the only way to confront the regime’s actions. Any concessions or accommodations by Western governments toward the mullahs send a message of weakness and embolden them to continue their destructive actions. Indeed, all the concessions and the $100 billion provided to the regime under the rubric of the nuclear agreement or for the release of Western hostages not only failed to halt its nuclear program but actually accelerated it. As long as this regime exists, the region will not see peace and stability. Therefore, the ultimate answer is to overthrow the regime at the hands of the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance.

Q: Some say that Iran’s interference is a sign of its strength. Do you share this view?

A: Ironically, the Iranian regime’s interference in neighboring countries shows its extreme weakness in the face of several incurable domestic crises: 1) An explosive society and the risk of unpredictable uprisings; 2) The consequences of the death of [President] Ebrahim Raisi and its irreparable blow to the strategy of Velayat-e Faqih (absolute clerical rule); 3) The challenge of installing a successor to Khamenei for a regime that has no future; 4) An economy on the brink of collapse, spiraling into ruin. Therefore, it can be reasonably concluded with certainty that at no time in the past 45 years has the regime been so weak and shaky, especially since it has no solution to the incurable social, political and economic crises.

Q: After the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, how important is the vacuum left in Iranian politics, and will Khamenei be able to fill this hole? Is Iran ready for Khamenei’s death? If he dies, what will happen inside Iran politically?

A: Raisi was the center of gravity of a special state apparatus to ensure the success of the strategy of repression, terrorism and warmongering. For the first time in the regime’s history, he was able to close the gaps among the regime’s ranks at the expense of the government and in favor of the IRGC and Khamenei’s office. Therefore, his death is tantamount to a major irreparable damage and a strategic blow to Khamenei and the entire regime of executions and massacres. The entire religious theocracy will experience the subsequent chain of consequences and crises. All this will mobilize the rebellious youth against the regime. Raisi’s death was a “poison chalice” for Khamenei. Khamenei will not be able to fill this vacuum. No one will replace Raisi for Khamenei.

Q: Are Iran’s presidential elections legitimate and fair?

A: Absolutely not. Under the clerical regime, elections, the republic and the presidency are hollow concepts. … Moreover, how can one talk about elections in Iran under the mullahs’ rule when an unelected body of 12 members — the Guardian Council, six of whose members are directly appointed by Khamenei and the other six members by the judiciary, whose head is also elected by Khamenei himself — must approve the qualifications of the candidates.

Q: How do you evaluate the first round of the election?

A: What happened on [June 28] was a great victory for the Iranian people and Resistance, with 88% of eligible voters boycotting the sham elections of the religious dictatorship. This outcome demonstrates the determination of the people and the Iranian Resistance to definitively overthrow the mullahs’ regime and achieve freedom for Iran. This charade clearly signaled the fragmentation and rifts within the regime and among its various factions.

Q: Women have played a leading role in the protests in Iran, especially during the 2022 uprising. What has triggered this active role?

A: Two factors explain this pioneering role. First, Iranian women have had a brilliant and active history of political activity since at least the Shah’s regime. Dozens of female fighters and MEK were arrested by the SAVAK [the Shah’s secret police] during those years, and some of them were killed after enduring a long period of torture. The presence of women in the resistance against the mullahs’ regime took on broader qualitative dimensions. Tens of thousands of these women were arrested during Khomeini’s reign and martyred after enduring medieval torture. These women and their sisters, who are now at the leadership level of the MEK, are a source of inspiration for women and girls.

Q: Given the decline in the intensity of the recent protests against the Iranian regime, how do you assess the current situation and the direction of the opposition movement?

A: The Iranian society is in an explosive situation. After the bloody crackdown of the 2022 uprisings, organized resistance has expanded, especially by the Resistance Units inside Iran. At the same time, there is not a single day that goes by where a segment of the population does not protest and strike somewhere in Iran. This regime has maintained its rule on the basis of a vast apparatus of repression and intelligence services. It has executed people every day using various pretexts. The number of executions in 2023 — at 864 — showed an increase of 43% compared to the previous year. During Raisi’s tenure, more than 1,877 people were executed. And this figure covers only the officially announced executions. When you combine such an explosive society with the active and daily role of the Resistance Units, it becomes clear that Iran is a powder keg, and this is why the regime has resorted to exporting crises and warmongering outside Iran’s borders to contain the inevitable uprising.

Q: What are your expectations from Western governments about their policies toward Iran and their support for the opposition?

A: We do not ask for help in overthrowing the regime. We only ask Western governments not to help the criminals ruling Iran. Our expectations from the international community are very simple and clear:

• Refer the dossier of horrific human rights violations in Iran to the U.N. Security Council and provide for the accountability and prosecution of the regime’s leaders, including Khamenei, for crimes against humanity and genocide.

• Designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the mullahs’ Ministry of Intelligence and expel their agents and mercenaries.

• Activate the snapback mechanism in the short time remaining for U.N. Resolution 2231 and reinstate U.N. Security Council sanctions.

• Designate the regime as an urgent threat to world peace and security in accordance with Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.

• Recognize the right of the Iranian people to struggle to overthrow the regime, as well as the rebellious youth’s struggle against the IRGC and the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence.