Strasbourg, June 18, 2025 —
In a powerful and unwavering address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), declared that true and lasting peace in Iran and the wider region is only possible through the overthrow of the ruling regime by the Iranian people and their organized resistance movement.
Seven months after her previous speech to the Parliament, Rajavi returned to Strasbourg with a stark warning: Iran is at a critical turning point, and decades of Western appeasement have failed to bring meaningful change.
“The Regime Is Surrounded by the Crisis of Its Own Overthrow”
Rajavi opened her remarks by emphasizing the intensifying internal collapse of the clerical regime. “The crisis of overthrow has now engulfed the entire dictatorship,” she said, referencing recent developments, including the June 13 conflict outbreak. However, she stressed that the root issue remains the same: the Iranian people’s long-standing fight — spanning 44 years — against a theocratic dictatorship.
Reaffirming a position she first voiced in the European Parliament more than 20 years ago, Rajavi argued that neither military intervention nor conciliatory policies will succeed. Only the Iranian people and their organized resistance — the “Third Option” — can bring about real change.
“A Viper Cannot Bear a Dove”
Rajavi rejected the idea that reform within the Islamic Republic is possible, calling it a dangerous illusion. “Religious dictatorship is fundamentally incapable of reform,” she said. The regime, she argued, will never abandon its nuclear ambitions, regional aggression, or reliance on terrorism.
She reminded Parliament that it was the NCRI who first revealed Iran’s secret nuclear facilities in 2002 — a pivotal disclosure later validated by the U.S. government. “The world was blind to the regime’s nuclear weapons program until the Iranian Resistance brought it to light,” Rajavi said.
“Appeasement Has Bred War”
Pointing to growing regional instability, Rajavi blamed Western appeasement policies for emboldening Tehran. “We warned years ago that appeasement would only lead to war,” she said, referencing a 2004 speech to the same chamber. “Let us not repeat the Munich mistake — this time with nuclear-armed clerics.”
According to Rajavi, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, fears internal reform more than external conflict. “He views concessions as the shortest route to his downfall,” she stated. “He may not fear death enough to end his own life, but he is fully prepared to plunge the nation into war and terror to maintain his grip on power.”
“Iranians Reject All Forms of Dictatorship”
Rajavi reaffirmed that the Iranian people seek a democratic alternative, rejecting both the current regime and the monarchy that preceded it. “That’s why we say: neither the Shah nor the mullahs,” she declared. “Iranians will not accept any form of dictatorship — they demand freedom.”
She highlighted the NCRI’s decades-long struggle as the only democratic alternative rooted in a 60-year resistance legacy. “This is not a foreign-imposed project. The NCRI has existed for 44 years with a clear platform and broad popular support,” she said.
“Western Silence Fuels the Regime’s Crimes”
Rajavi condemned Western governments and media for remaining largely silent about the regime’s brutality. “Since Pezeshkian took office in August 2024, more than 1,350 prisoners have been executed,” she noted. “Iran now has the highest per-capita execution rate in the world.”
Despite repeated resolutions from the European Parliament, she criticized the EU for failing to officially blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization — a step long demanded by the Resistance. She also decried the ongoing efforts to discredit the opposition, arguing they only serve the regime’s interests.
A Vision for a Democratic Iran
Rajavi outlined the NCRI’s vision for a democratic, secular Iran — one that upholds gender equality, abolishes the death penalty, and pursues peaceful international relations. “Our platform was established over 40 years ago,” she said. “We seek neither weapons nor funding. We ask only for recognition of our Resistance.”
She assured that the NCRI would hand over power to an elected Constituent Assembly following the regime’s fall. “Free elections will be held within six months, with universal suffrage. At that point, the Resistance’s transitional government will step aside,” she promised.
Quoting NCRI leader Massoud Rajavi, she concluded: “We will not return to the past, nor remain trapped in the present. The future — a democratic, free Iran — will be realized.”
A Call to Europe
Rajavi closed with a direct appeal to EU lawmakers: “It is time for the European Parliament to urge the EU and its member states to recognize the Iranian people’s fight to overthrow this regime.”
She called for formal recognition of the NCRI and voiced solidarity with the courageous Iranian youth who continue to resist the regime’s repression, particularly at the hands of the IRGC.
“The people of Iran have made their choice,” she said. “We have risen up to replace this regime with a democratic republic. That is the heart of the matter.”