WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the conflict surrounding Iran intensifies — and questions swirl about leadership, stability and the future of the regime — Iranian-American advocates are pushing a different strategy: political support from the outside, while supporting resistance from within.
Supporters behind one resistance group in Iran are calling for political support behind the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to help lead a potential transition inside the country.
“America has tried literally everything. It has negotiated with regime, even agreed on some terms with the regime. It has attempted also engagement militarily with the regime. But none of that really has undone the regime,” said Dr. Majid Sadeghpour, the political director of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC), a group dedicated to the promotion of a free and democratic Iran.
As instability grows within the regime and pressure mounts, NCRI supporters say the moment for change may already be here, but they insist it must come from within.
“Foreign military intervention is not the solution. It is very costly for all sides,” said Sadeghpour. “Our suggestion is to politically support Iran’s organized opposition.”
Sadeghpour says the regime is cornered as they face internal and global pressure. In the last 48 hours, Sadeghpour said four political prisoners have been killed by the regime.
“The IRGC at the moment and the infrastructure after the death of Ali Khamenei is highly decentralized in Iran,” he added.
Sadeghpour is a supporter of the National Council of Resistance of Iran — led by Maryam Rajavi — which has proposed a six-month provisional government if or when the regime collapses. With power inside Iran becoming increasingly fractured, he says organized NCRI resistance networks on the ground are ready to step in.
“You’ll need leadership. You need organization on the ground in Iran and you need the political infrastructure to handle the post-fall of the regime,” said Sadeghpour. “And all of that is seen in the National Council of Resistance of Iran.”
However, he warns — escalation and airstrikes can make a coordinated uprising extremely difficult. It’s an issue that was raised in front of a bipartisan group of lawmakers during a recent forum on Capitol Hill.
“When bombs are falling on the ground, it is almost nearly impossible to mount an uprising,” Sadeghpour said.
For supporters of the NCRI, the message is simple: the Iranian people are ready to decide their future, if the world acknowledges their resistance.
“They own the sacrifice they deserve to right the right to free their country. And they have an organized resistance that can do it in the National Council of Resistance,” said Sadeghpour, adding that women are playing a central role in the NCRI movement.
“Our support should be to anchor this enormous potential for change. By the way, women are significant players here. And that’s why Mayra Rajavi, a woman, leads the NCRI. And it’s not by accident, it’s by design,” he said.
