Ceasefire gives Iranian People room to rise—and Tehran reasons to panic
In a powerful new statement following the U.S.-led strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and a newly proposed ceasefire, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), reaffirmed the third option the West continues to overlook: regime change by the Iranian people themselves.
Rajavi’s remarks signal a moment of moral clarity. “Let the people of Iran themselves,” she declared, “in the battle of destiny, bring down Khamenei and the dictatorship of velayat-e faqih.” She welcomed the ceasefire as a step away from war—but equally, away from the failed policies of appeasement that have empowered Tehran’s tyrants for decades.
In interviews, NCRI officials can speak to what this third option means in real terms: a broad-based movement inside Iran, organized and ready to lead a democratic transition. The NCRI’s long-standing platform calls for a non-nuclear republic, the separation of religion and state, and full equality for women and ethnic minorities—a plan that has never depended on foreign troops, U.S. money, or outside interference.
This week’s revelation that Iran secretly removed missing quantities of uranium—shortly before its enrichment sites were bombed—only underscores the regime’s deception and volatility. It is not a trustworthy negotiating partner. Nor is it, as Rajavi and the NCRI argue, a government that can be reformed.
Instead, the West must finally stop empowering tyrants and start listening to the Iranian people themselves.
Rajavi’s vision is not just rhetoric—it’s a lifeline for a new Iran. It’s time to give voice to those with the legitimacy, clarity, and moral authority to lead.
Speakers Available:
Alireza Jafarzadeh – Deputy Director of NCRI
Shahin Gobadi – Nuclear Engineer and member of NCRI
Robert Torricelli – Former U.S. Senator (D-NJ)
Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad – Iranian American Scholar and Cybersecurity Executive
Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan – Associate Dean and Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian – Dean of College of Engineering; expert on Iran’s Nuclear program
Related Article(s)
Israel and Iran agree to ceasefire to bring end to ’12 DAY WAR,’ Trump says – ABC News
What happened to Iran’s enriched uranium? Experts say it’s a mystery
Optional Q&A
- What does Maryam Rajavi mean by the “third option” and how does it differ from war or appeasement?
- How does the NCRI plan to support regime change led entirely by the Iranian people?
- Why is the recent ceasefire seen as a potential turning point for internal change in Iran?
- What is the significance of the missing uranium Iran allegedly removed before the bombings?
- How does the NCRI ensure its movement remains independent from foreign influence or intervention?
- What steps would the NCRI take immediately following the fall of the current regime?
- How does the NCRI’s 10-point plan address the rights of women, minorities, and religious freedom?
- Why should the international community trust the NCRI as a viable democratic alternative for Iran?
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
ABOUT ROBERT TORRICELLI…
Senator Robert Torricelli served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 9th district of New Jersey until January 1997, when he was elected as Democratic Senator from the state of New Jersey. While in the Congress, he was the leading voice for a free Iran and has been advocate of a free and democratic Iran for the past three decades.
In 1999, he joined the Democratic Leadership as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Senator Torricelli served in the House Foreign Affairs Committee as the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
Senator Torricelli earned his law degree from Rutgers University and completed a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Before becoming a member of the U.S. Congress, Torricelli served as associate counsel to then-Vice President Walter Mondale.
ABOUT DR. RAMESH SEPEHRRAD…
Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad is a leading Iranian-American scholar, published author, cybersecurity executive, and human rights advocate, known for her tireless efforts to advance a non-nuclear, secular, and democratic republic in Iran. As Chair of the Advisory Board of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC), she plays a pivotal role in bipartisan majority of congressional advocacy, including support for various house resolutions, which endorses the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom and Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan.
Born in Shiraz, Iran, Ramesh’s commitment to justice is deeply personal. Her family endured brutal persecution under both the Shah’s monarchy and the current theocratic regime. Several relatives were imprisoned, tortured, or executed for their opposition to tyranny—an experience that has shaped her life’s mission to amplify the voices of Iran’s oppressed.
After seeking refuge in the United States in 1985, Dr. Sepehrrad earned a B.S. in Computer Science from SUNY Buffalo, an M.A. in Political Science, and a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. She has also taught graduate courses on conflict, gender, and human rights at George Mason, University of Connecticut where she was inducted as the Distinguished Engineer, and University of Baltimore.
Professionally, she has held senior executive roles in cybersecurity and risk management where she has earned numerous industry awards and recognition.
Through academic rigor, policy engagement, and grassroots mobilization, Dr. Sepehrrad is a compelling voice for democratic change in Iran—rejecting both monarchy and theocracy in favor of a republic rooted in gender equality, human rights and the rule of law.
ABOUT DR. IVAN SASCHA SHEEHAN…
Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is a Professor of Public and International Affairs and the Associate Dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. He has undertaken extensive research on U.S.-Iran Policy and counterterrorism operations.
A well-established authority on Iranian affairs, Sheehan’s work in the past decade has involved both peer-reviewed scholarship and policy-oriented writing on the Islamic Republic of Iran and their democratic political opposition. He has authored several books on the topic. His latest book is titled “The Ayatollah’s Hidden Hand: Tehran’s Covert Campaign to Undermine Its Principal Opposition.”
He frequently speaks on policy-oriented matters in Washington, D.C. and participates in scholarly conferences around the world.
Over the past fifteen years, Dr. Sheehan has addressed diverse audiences from academic forums in Europe and at Harvard Law School to policymakers in the U.S. Congress, the National Press Club, and film premieres for the National Geographic Channel. Dr. Sheehan continues to serve as a subject matter expert and consultant on a range of international conflict issues and public policy matters.
Dr. Sheehan is the author of more than one hundred publications and has appeared in Newsweek, National Review, The National Interest, Foreign Policy, Fox News, U.S. News & World Report, among others.
He served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Boston in the John W. McCormack School of Policy Studies. He previously taught at Bentley College, Tufts University, and George Mason University, after receiving a Ph.D. in 2006.
ABOUT DR. KAZEM KAZEROUNIAN…
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and served as Dean of the College of Engineering from 2012 to 2024.
He is a member of The Free Iran Scholars Network. A passionate advocate for democracy and human rights, Dr. Kazerounian is also an expert on Iran and the Middle East, particularly regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, and human rights situation in Iran. He has contributed widely through scholarly articles, invited talks, and media interviews on regional affairs and the democratic movement in Iran.
Nationally, he has held leadership roles with ASEE and ASME, shaping engineering policy and education. His honors include the ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Award, AIMBE Fellowship, and induction into the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering.
An ASME Fellow, his research spans kinematics, robotics, and biomechanics. He has authored over 160 scholarly works and co-founded AcademicKeys.com and AcademicJournal.com, a professional platform and an online journal for academics.
This material is distributed by Special Guests Publicity LLC on behalf of National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) / Media Strategy Consulting LTD. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
CONTACT:
For further details or to arrange the interview, please contact Jerry McGlothlin at 919-437-0001 / Bookings@SeasonalLiving.com
