On September 23, 2025, thousands of Iranian Americans and supporters of the Iranian Resistance gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. The demonstrators voiced strong opposition to the regime president Masoud Pezeshkian’s presence at the UN General Assembly and rallied in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its president-elect, Maryam Rajavi. The central slogan repeated by the crowd was: “No to the Shah, no to the mullahs — yes to a democratic republic.”
In a video message shown to the rally, Maryam Rajavi addressed attendees as “the true voice of the Iranian people before the United Nations.” She linked the New York protest to the mass uprisings across Iran — in Tehran, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Zahedan and even inside prisons — declaring the message “simple and clear: overthrow and democratic change — a democratic republic, with freedom and democratic rights.” Rajavi also accused the clerical regime of executing 1,817 people in just 14 months and charged it with committing crimes against humanity. She called for the prosecution of regime leaders in international courts.
Rajavi urged the international community not to appease the regime. She insisted that Iran’s representation at the UN should not be accorded to “a regime of executions and massacres.” She warned that despite diplomatic pressure from Europe; the regime would not abandon its nuclear ambitions and praised the NCRI’s 133 revelations for helping block Tehran’s path to acquiring a bomb. Rejecting all forms of dictatorship — whether secular or religious — Rajavi pronounced:
“We want neither a mullah nor a Shah. The era of all forms of dictatorship … is over. Our message for Iran’s future is simple: the sovereignty of the people — the people’s republic.”
Several prominent figures addressed the rally. Former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey stated that conditions were more favorable now for the collapse of the regime than in decades, despite growing repression. He dismissed Pezeshkian’s role as purely symbolic and called for the collection of evidence on regime atrocities to ensure accountability.
Former U.S. Congressman Ted Poe drew on American principles, citing the right of people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive. He warned against resurrecting monarchy in Iran, and argued the only credible alternative is Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan for a secular, democratic, nonnuclear republic.
Other speakers included former U.S. Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, who spoke of long-standing support for the Iranian Resistance and praised the role in providing critical intelligence. Resistance Units inside Iran also received mention for having chipped away at the regime’s power.
Voices from the younger generation were also heard. Maryam Hosseini, whose father was a political prisoner, declared that even the darkest prisons cannot extinguish the light of freedom, repeating the rally’s refrain: “No to the Shah. No to the mullahs. Yes to a democratic republic.” Emma Vali Beigi, whose cousin was executed during the 1988 massacre, warned against choosing between one dictatorship and another, arguing Iran deserves better.
Other participants recounted personal losses — for instance, Mani Mansourpour held up a photo of his uncle, who was executed in 1988, and demanded urgent UN action. Hadi Shakibanejad framed the protest as rejecting the normalization of tyranny, and stated:
“Our beloved Iran is under occupation by a murderous regime … This regime is neither Islamic nor a Republic.”
As the regime president spoke inside the UN, thousands outside chanted: “Pezeshkian out of UN, NOW, NOW, NOW” and “Rajavi YES, mullahs NO.” The rally highlighted the determination of Iranian exiles and supporters to push for a future based on democracy, secular governance, and accountability.