PARIS,— Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), called on Iranians to overthrow Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following Tuesday’s announcement of a ceasefire in the Iran-Israel aerial conflict.
Her remarks followed similar calls by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former Shah, who recently urged Western governments to acknowledge the necessity of regime change in Iran to ensure long-term peace and regional security.
The NCRI, also known as Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), is a Paris-based opposition group banned inside Iran. The MEK is known to be deeply unpopular today within Iran, largely due to its siding with Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War and continued ties with the government of Saddam Hussein afterwards.
The group’s ideology is influenced by Islam. It faces widespread disapproval among Iranians because of this history.
Rajavi made her comments a day after Reza Pahlavi urged Iran’s police, military, and security forces to abandon the country’s leadership.
However, opposition to Iran’s clerical government remains fragmented, with no clearly recognized leader and a variety of ethnic groups involved. Political analysts say that any direct challenge to the Islamic Republic would likely require some form of popular uprising, though its timing and likelihood are debated.
Rajavi issued her statement before Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel had carried out strikes against Tehran in response to missile attacks that violated the ceasefire agreement.
Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire that ended weeks of aerial attacks starting June 13, Rajavi said, “This ceasefire offers an alternative path: neither war nor submission.”
She urged Iranians to “take destiny into their own hands and bring down the dictatorship led by Khamenei.”
Rajavi outlined the vision of a democratic, nuclear-free Iran, calling for separation of religion and state, gender equality, and rights for Iran’s ethnic minorities. She stressed the importance of autonomy for Iran’s nationalities, emphasizing a commitment to pluralism.
Last Saturday, the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites. Trump hinted that removing Iran’s clerical rulers might be an eventual goal, but U.S. officials maintained the strikes targeted only Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The NCRI was listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU until 2012 and remains controversial within Iran. Despite this, it is one of the few opposition groups considered capable of mobilizing people.
The group has been active on social media during earlier mass demonstrations, documenting protests in Iran from sources inside the country.
Iran regularly accuses the group of fomenting unrest, and several of its activists have been executed over the past year.
Rajavi recalled Iran’s long history of resisting authoritarian rule, noting, “Iranians have repeatedly risen up against both the Shah’s and the clerical dictatorships at great cost.”
On Monday, Reza Pahlavi called on Iran’s military and police forces to turn against the regime.
Opposition forces in Iran remain fragmented with no single recognized leader, and the country’s many ethnic groups are divided.
Political analyst Henase Karim told iKurd News that Iran does not need another Islamic, hijab-based organization to lead the country, especially one lacking popular support within Iran.
Karim emphasized that the country continues to suffer under Islamic rule and widespread repression of personal freedoms.
She pointed to the mass protests sparked by the death of Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by authorities for not wearing the hijab—an event that galvanized public outrage against the regime’s strict dress codes and human rights abuses.
Political analysts say any attempt to overthrow the Islamic Republic would likely require a large-scale popular uprising, but the timing and possibility of this remain uncertain.
During the recent air conflict, the NCRI kept a low profile, avoiding open support for Israel’s campaign, according to sources familiar with the group’s activities.
Originally part of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Mujahideen later fought against the government during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.
The group was the first to publicly reveal Iran’s uranium enrichment program in 2002, drawing international attention.
(With files from Reuters | Agencies)
Copyright @ 2025 iKurd.net. All rights reserved
Related posts:
Iran, a Failed Country by Enemies Within
Iran is Not Syria
Iran – Toxic Theocracy – Part I
The Assassination of Abdurrahman Ghassemlou: No Friends but the Mullahs?
Iran Regime Change Vs. Map Change
The Resurrection (Ba’ath) Party – Before the Iran-Iraq War
The Suffocation of Iraq Kurdistan
The 12-Day War: A Tactical Failure, Yet a Strategic Win for Israel
