A conference in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, January 31, attended by representatives from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, along with members of the major political parties in the UK, deliberated on the pernicious role played by the Iranian regime in the region and explored potential strategies to counter its influence.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), delivered remarks remotely during the conference, offering insights and perspectives to the assembled representatives.
Throughout the conference, members from both houses of the UK Parliament emphasized the need for accountability from the Tehran regime, citing its involvement in warmongering activities and exacerbation of regional crises. They voiced support for the democratic alternative proposed by the NCRI and endorsed Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
Speakers at the conference urged the UK government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, aligning with calls to address the regime’s destabilizing actions in the region.
The ongoing Middle East conflict has caused many casualties; and unfortunately, it continues without any sign of stopping. The devastating bloodshed and destruction took a heavy toll, however, a clear truth came to light: The clerical regime is the main source of war and…
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 1, 2024
During her address, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi highlighted the Iranian regime’s destructive influence in the Middle East. She emphasized the regime’s responsibility for regional conflicts and terrorism. Rajavi urged Western governments, including the UK, to adopt a firm policy against the regime and support the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy. She criticized the policy of appeasement, stressing the need to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Mrs. Rajavi called for international recognition of the Iranian people’s resistance and emphasized the importance of removing the regime to achieve peace and stability in the region. She urged the world to take decisive action against the regime to prevent further escalation of conflicts.
She said, “Fueling the flames of war on October 7; Launching missile attacks on Pakistan and Iraq and attacking many ships in the Red Sea through its proxies; carrying out more than 190 attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria; and creating a corridor from Iran to Syria and Lebanon to send weapons to Hezbollah and the regime’s proxy groups, increasing the risk of more destructive wars. Unfortunately, Western governments do not have a clear strategy to deal with this urgent problem because they have mostly followed a policy of appeasement in dealing with religious fascism in Iran since the 1980s.
“Indeed, the power to overthrow the regime lies with the prepared and strong force of the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance. They have proven their strength and determination through thousands of operations by the Resistance Units in the past year. The younger generation has started to rebel. Many young protesters are in prison, facing the risk of execution, and thousands are under torture.
“Despite repeated calls from the British and EU lawmakers, Western countries and the European Union decided not to put the IRGC on their terrorist blacklist. These concessions have given the regime and its IRGC more confidence in pursuing their suppression, execution, terrorism, and warmongering. If the West had taken a more decisive stance, it could have stopped the regime from engaging in war. Only speaking out against the regime without any practical measures and imposing sanctions on a few IRGC commanders or officials will not stop this regime. Today, the skeptics and the countries with significant interests cannot ignore that the head of the snake of warmongering and terrorism is in Tehran under the rule of the mullahs. Once again, I urge the world to adopt a firm policy against the clerical regime in Iran that is essential for peace in the region and the world.”
I have come to assert that a correct strategy exists. The right strategy is the overthrow of the Iranian regime by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance. The goal is to establish a pluralistic democratic republic that respects separation of religion and state and is… pic.twitter.com/rO6SE1SETI
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 1, 2024
Hosting the meeting, MP Anna Firth said, “For their part, despite an atmosphere of absolute repression, the Iranian people have defied the regime. I pay tribute to the younger generation of Iranian men and women organized in the form of Resistance Units who have qualitatively and quantitatively expanded their activities nationwide.
“From those brave young women that we saw last year and the year before, the activities now have ramped up and they include targeting the IRGC and the Basij militia, the regime’s shock troopers across the country, strengthening the spirit of resistance and demoralizing the regime’s suppressive forces. I think that they deserve all of our respect, and I applaud them, every single one of them.
“These developments, we believe, are making it palpably clear that the Mullahs regime, besieged by this multitude of social, political, and physical crises and facing this increasinglyly restive population, fears the eruption of another uprising, which according to the regime officials would be far more ferocious and far more far-reaching than the 2022 uprising.
“I believe that the path to peace in the Middle East begins with a firm and united stand against the Iranian regime. I believe that governments across the world must take decisive action to support these legitimate struggles of people in Iran who are standing up for the freedom and democracy that we take for granted here in the West.
“Considering all avenues for peaceful political activities that have been closed by the ruling theocracy, Western democracies including our own government must continue to stand with the Iranian people. We must continue to support them in their resistance with all available means. We must continue to be their voice and to stand up for a democratic secular republic in Iran now and forever.”
Lord Alton emphasized the urgent need to recognize the Iranian people’s resistance movement against the regime. He condemned the Iranian regime’s fabrication of cases and judicial proceedings against over 100 members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) residing abroad. He highlighted these as tactics to justify further persecution and terrorist plots against dissidents, even extending to European territories.
Lord Alton said, “Our best allies and our partners for an effective strategy to counter the regime’s destructive role in the Middle East are the Iranian people and their organized resistance movement, led by Madam Rajavi. Her Ten-Point Plan, her sort of decalogue for the region, these are crucial things about the future of Iran. They provide a roadmap to a democratic regime. It offers a clear and long-standing Iranian solution to the threats of the regime, not a solution engineered by the United States or the United Kingdom or the European Union, engineered by Iranian people for the future of Iran.”
Asserting the Iranian people’s right to rebel against repression and tyranny, Lord Alton invoked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, calling on the international community to recognize the Iranian people’s right to resistance. He drew parallels with other global struggles for freedom, citing the example of Ukraine.
Lord Alton added, “The Iranian people have the courage and will to challenge the regime’s absolute grip on power. Iranian youth, young girls and boys, are risking their lives rebelling against the regime. The resistance has a vast social network inside the country through its expanding resistance. These units are actively trying to break the wall of repression so that the people of Iran will be able to take their own fate into their own hands. In this situation, I think our government must also recognize the right of the Iranian people and their Resistance Units to resist and defend themselves against a brutal regime and its merciless Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“It’s clear that the regime has mobilized the entire state from the police, the IRGC and the armed forces, judiciary, and intelligence ministry to wage a war against the Iranian people and the resistance movement. The regime has done this while enjoying impunity both at home and abroad for these last four decades.”
— Lord (David) Alton (@DavidAltonHL) February 1, 2024
Baroness Eaton said, “The Iranian regime has been emboldened by the weakness of the West, whilst our governments have continued to try, at each and every turn, to placate Iran’s dictatorial leaders. The regime has continued to redouble its efforts to support terrorism in the region. Through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s Corps, the regime provides financial support to terrorist groups, supplying them with weapons and training to murder. Look across the Middle East, and you see the fingerprints of the IRGC over crime after crime.
“While some have only recently realized the role it plays within the regime, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, NCRI, and Maryam Rajavi have told us for years that if we don’t act against the IRGC and the regime’s actions in the Middle East, things will get much worse. Today, things are much worse than many of us could ever have imagined.
“So, let’s knock on every door and demand the IRGC be listed as a terrorist organization, and let’s knock on every door and tell the world of the inspiration of the democratic coalition led by Maryam Rajavi.
“Women leadership of Resistance Units inside Iran and of the uprising shows the power of women in Iran. Our government should support them and recognize the right of the Iranian women and youths in the Resistance Units to fight back against this brutal IRGC. We must support them. We did when we supported the Ukrainians’ fight against Putin and Russian aggressors.
“Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan is a commitment to political and social gender equality as well as legal safeguards for the rights of all other marginalized groups that suffer routine discrimination under the current system. Iranian women deserve our backing to fight the IRGC, and I will continue to support their demands for a democratic republic.”
MP Jim Shannon highlighted the Iranian regime’s pervasive influence in various conflicts across the Middle East, labeling Iran as the “cauldron of evil” for supporting terrorist groups like the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza. Shannon underscored the urgent need for a firm policy towards the Iranian regime, advocating for a unified and strong voice from the government.
Shannon condemned the IRGC as the main source of death and devastation in the region, emphasizing the importance of their elimination. He also spoke about the Iranian regime’s egregious human rights violations, including the systematic oppression of women and the execution of political prisoners without due legal process.
MP Shannon said, “I truly commend the incredible bravery of these young men and women, especially the Resistance Units of the PMOI, who are trying to bring down the wall of repression. It is also why I give my support to Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran. I’ve always supported them. I will continue to support them. I’ll continue to support them if they have that freedom, the freedom that we have. The commitment is infinite because they view their lives as no more important than the young men and women of Iran, and they dedicate every waking hour of their lives to bringing freedom and democracy to Iran.”
“Let us demand that the IRGC be immediately listed as a terrorist organization, and let us demand that the Iranian people’s right to fight the IRGC is recognized because it should be. The atrocities we are seeing today in this region must end.”
MP Teresa Villiers said, “Like many others here, I would like to see that sanctions regime supplemented with the prescription of the IRGC. And I hope one day that that will happen here. And we meet at such troubled times, such instability, such uncertainty. And at the heart of so much of that is the Mullahs regime in Tehran.”
She condemned the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran, citing the alarming death toll from capital punishment and the plight of children subjected to exploitation and forced marriage. MP Villiers applauded the courage of Iranian protesters demanding democracy and justice, noting the recent outpouring of resistance following the tragic events surrounding Marsa Amini.
Highlighting the UK’s recent expansion of sanctions against individuals and organizations in Iran, she emphasized the IRGC’s role in fomenting instability and terrorism across the Middle East, urging decisive action against its malevolent influence.
MP Villiers also urged for global recognition of the Iranian people’s quest for a democratic, secular republic that respects human rights and freedoms. She emphasized Iran’s potential to positively influence the region with its rich cultural heritage and educated population, underscoring the tragedy of its current deprivation under the oppressive regime.
Joined forces last night with Parliamentary colleagues from both Houses – Left, Right & Centre- @UKParliament to denounce the role of Iran in fomenting violence at home & abroad.Solidarity with brave resistance.Called again for proscription of IRGC. @David_Cameron @tariqahmadbt pic.twitter.com/WZoN56UT1B
— Lord (David) Alton (@DavidAltonHL) February 1, 2024
MP Martyn Day underscored the paramount importance of supporting the democratic alternative represented by Madam Rajavi’s movement. Mr. Day said, “I think we need to send that message loudly to the world that there is a democratic alternative, and the whole world would be safer if we had a democratic, secular republic in Iran. And I wish every success to the Resistance Units that are operating within the country. I have nothing but admiration for the selfless courage that they show. It is beyond inspirational. I haven’t got a word to describe it, that they risk absolutely everything for freedoms that we take for granted.”
Calling for the prescription of the IRGC, MP Day expressed bewilderment at the UK’s delay in taking this crucial step, emphasizing the universal consensus among politicians for its necessity. He added, “I also think that it is impossible for us to negotiate with the current Iranian regime. I think it has proven itself to be such a terrorist state and such a risk to our security here that we should sever ties with them diplomatically. Indeed, we should be recognizing yourself and bringing you to this country as a representative and sending a signal to the people in Iran that another way is possible and that the world is watching.”
Baroness Verma said, “The IRGC, we’ve talked about it over and over again to be prescribed, we need to get that action done. The thing we all lack is the continuity of the message.
“Madam Rajavi, you know you will always have the support of parliamentarians here in the UK. You know you’ve got a lot of support in Europe, but maybe it’s time now that we really get these discussions in a much wider area of the world, so that everybody recognizes that if unchecked, Iran, through its groups which are operating across the globe, will become more and more dangerous.”
Baron Bellingham emphasized the urgent need to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organization, highlighting its nefarious role in sponsoring proxy groups and perpetuating evil. He criticized past policies of containment and engagement with Iran, advocating for a new strategy that focuses on thwarting terror activities and engaging with the Iranian people, particularly the youth, civil society, and the opposition.
Reflecting on past engagements with Iranian officials, Bellingham underscored the importance of welcoming and engaging with Madam Rajavi and her Ten-Point Plan to reshape UK policy towards Iran. He emphasized the paramount importance of prioritizing the people of Iran in policy decisions and expressed admiration for Rajavi’s efforts.
In her speech, MP Rachael Maskell addressed the pressing issue of human rights in Iran. She echoed sentiments shared by colleagues, stressing the imperative need for Parliament to take a stand in defending the cause in Iran. She emphasized the urgency of proscribing the IRGC and suggested a renewed debate, especially with the Foreign Secretary’s recent placement in the House of Lords.
MP Maskell underscored the importance of international coordination, citing recent events highlighting the significance of the global community. She expressed determination to bring solutions and spotlighted NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan, advocating for justice for the people of Iran. Additionally, she commended the resilience of Iranian women, urging continued advocacy for justice and human rights in both peaceful and just ways.
Reflecting on the urgent need for international action against the Iranian regime’s egregious human rights violations and destabilizing activities in the Middle East, Lord Hacking highlighted the pressing need to address the ongoing atrocities perpetrated by the Iranian regime.
He expressed concern over the slow pace of international response and the regime’s continuing violations, including the alarming rate of executions and arrests of innocent young people. He also called for solidarity with the Iranian people and questioned what practical steps could be taken to support them effectively.
Lord Whitty expressed his deep respect for the NCRI’s longstanding struggle to restore democracy and human rights in Iran. He highlighted the regime’s overreach as a potential turning point for Western powers’ policies towards Iran. He also asserted that the program of containment and engagement has failed, emphasizing Tehran’s threat not only to its citizens but to global peace.
Lord Whitty called for substantive changes in the UK government policies, including the proscription of the IRGC and sanctions against the Iranian regime’s leadership. He advocated for broader measures such as sanctions on Iranian trade, including a ban on Iranian oil sales, given the regime’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East.
