Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Supports Iranian Resistance, Calls for Regime Change
A significant bipartisan coalition of 151 lawmakers has united behind a resolution expressing strong support for the Iranian resistance movement, signaling a growing consensus in Congress regarding the need for a change in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The resolution, spearheaded by Representative Tom McClintock of California, underscores the desire of the Iranian people for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran and advocates for a change in the current regime.
The resolution unequivocally states that the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran is the primary source of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East, citing the regime’s oppressive practices and calling for the imposition of continued sanctions by global leaders. The resolution contends that decades of efforts by Western countries to modify the behavior of the Iranian regime have been unsuccessful, and the ultimate solution to ending the regime’s threats lies in the establishment of a secular, democratic, and pluralistic republic by the Iranian people and resistance.
While former President Donald Trump has expressed reservations about direct U.S. involvement in regime change in Iran, stating that the U.S. cannot be totally involved in all that and cannot run the country, the bipartisan resolution suggests a shift in congressional sentiment towards supporting the Iranian resistance movement as a viable path to achieving a more stable and peaceful Iran.
The resolution specifically highlights the escalating human rights abuses under the current Iranian leadership, claiming that in the first four months of Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidency, which began on July 28, 2024, approximately 500 prisoners, including political prisoners and at least 17 women, were executed, and hand amputations have increased.
The resolution also expresses explicit support for Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a prominent resistance group also known as MEK to Iranians. The resolution endorses Rajavi’s 10-point plan, which seeks to establish democracy, secular governance, and human rights in Iran. The plan, which has garnered the support of over 4,000 parliamentarians worldwide, proposes installing the NCRI as a provisional government for a six-month period to facilitate elections and establish a constituent assembly.
The resolution was formally introduced on Wednesday, coinciding with a hearing titled "The Future of Iran" organized by the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus. Rajavi, who is a frequent target of Iranian terror plots and demonization, is scheduled to provide testimony at the hearing.
The renewed focus on the Iranian resistance movement and the push for regime change come at a time when the Trump administration has been reimposing "maximum pressure" sanctions on Iran, targeting its oil trade and seeking to cripple its economy. While the first Trump administration implemented harsh sanctions to bankrupt Iran, it largely refrained from direct messaging campaigns aimed at encouraging Iranian resistance.
However, proponents of supporting the Iranian resistance argue that the situation on the ground has evolved, with the regime facing greater internal and external challenges. They point to the weakening of the regime after Bashar al-Assad was forced out of power in Syria and the decimation of Iranian proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, by Israel. Furthermore, they note the resurgence of protests across Iran, fueled by the deteriorating economic conditions and widespread discontent with the regime’s policies.
Rajavi, in her opening remarks at the hearing, is expected to assert that the Iranian regime is at its weakest point in decades. She is expected to state that the situation of the Iranian society is explosive, and that during its 46-year rule, the religious fascism has never been so weak and fragile. Rajavi is likely to emphasize that the mullahs are surrounded from all sides: by a society filled with anger and rebellion, by Resistance Units, and by selfless and rebellious youth, as well as a bankrupt economy and corruption in the government. Rajavi will attribute the regime’s weakening to the overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Assad and the collapse of the regime’s strategic depth in the region.
The resolution is anticipated to provoke strong reactions from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the current Iranian regime, as well as supporters of Reza Pahlavi II, whose father ruled Iran in the 1970s. Pahlavi supporters advocate for the younger Pahlavi to assume power in Iran and are staunchly opposed to the NCRI.
Rajavi is expected to call for the reimplementation of United Nations snapback sanctions that were eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, placing the regime under the Chapter VII charter of the U.N. as a threat to peace and formally recognizing the resistance movement for regime change. She will also honor two resistance leaders, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who have been sentenced to death on charges of rebellion and for being members of the MEK. The U.N. has appealed to Iran to halt their executions. Rajavi claims that the regime has executed 120,000 on political grounds over the past four decades.
The hearings occur as the Trump administration intensifies its "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign against Iran, including new crackdowns on Iranian oil tankers. While Trump has expressed a desire to make a deal with Iran’s clerical leaders, Iran has maintained that it will not engage in nuclear negotiations while the U.S. is imposing maximum pressure.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has stated that Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear, and that they will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions. Araqchi emphasized that there is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way.
