From Tehran to Brussels, Anger Erupts Against Ayatollah’s Iron Grip in Iran
This past weekend, tens of thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of Brussels to demand the end of the Iranian regime in Tehran. Their rally, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), came as the New York Times reported growing fury among Iran’s own military leaders over the Ayatollah’s failed war with Israel.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has been calling for regime change in Iran and is available to provide context on this huge development. Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh, Member of Parliament in Exile Shahin Gobadi, and others are available for interviews.
The protests underscored what is now undeniable: Iranians want regime change. But they don’t want it imposed from outside powers with foreign agendas. They want to take down the mullahs themselves, on their own terms, with only the backing—not the control—of the West.
This is the precise case the NCRI has been making for decades. And in Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s candidate for president, Iranians have a leader who embodies that vision: a woman offering a democratic, secular alternative to both the oppressive rule of the Ayatollahs and the Western-backed dictatorship of the Shah. The Brussels rally made clear that Iranians reject both the regime’s nearly 50-year stranglehold and the monarchy that preceded it.
For the West, the implications are enormous. Tehran today is aligned with Russia and China, deepening ties that pose a direct challenge to U.S. and European interests. If Iran were to pivot toward a pro-Western democratic future, it would represent the geopolitical equivalent of a 14-point swing in football—a pick six in the enemy’s end zone. One of Moscow and Beijing’s key allies would vanish, replaced by a powerful new partner for Washington and its allies.
If western nations want a supportive Iran, they must be careful about whom they support. The son of the shah, Reza Palavi, is not welcome by many of the Iranian people. Installing him would be a major strategic blunder for not only the west, but for the Iranian people, according to the NCRI.
The Iranian people are calling for freedom, the NCRI is organizing the path forward, and the West faces a historic choice: stand on the sidelines or finally support an organic Iranian revolution that could change the balance of global power.
Speakers Available:
Alireza Jafarzadeh – Deputy Director of NCRI
Shahin Gobadi – Nuclear Engineer and member of NCRI
Ali Safavi – Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Related Article(s)
A View From Inside Iran – The New York Times
Rage Against The Machine – Killing In the Name (Official HD Video)
Optional Q&A
- What message did the massive Brussels protest send about Iranians’ appetite for regime change?
- How significant is it that Iranians reject not only the mullahs but also the Shah’s old order?
- Why does the NCRI insist regime change must come from within, not foreign intervention?
- What role does Maryam Rajavi play as the face of a democratic, secular Iran?
- How do the Iranian people’s demands line up with Western strategic interests?
- What does Tehran’s alignment with Russia and China mean for U.S. and European security?
- Could a free Iran really deliver the kind of “14-point swing” geopolitically that football fans understand?
- What should Western governments be doing right now to support Iranians without smothering their movement?
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.
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
