The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Washington Office hosted a Nowruz gathering, attended by prominent American political figures and supporters of the Iranian Resistance. The event aimed to demonstrate solidarity with the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy and support Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a free and secular Iran.
Key speakers included Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator Robert Torricelli, and Ambassador Robert Joseph, all of whom expressed strong support for the Iranian Resistance and emphasized the need for regime change in Iran.
Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, highlighted that lasting peace in the Middle East would not be possible until Iran’s clerical regime and its apparatus of terror were dismantled. He criticized previous U.S. administrations for returning confiscated funds to the Iranian regime, arguing that the money should have been given to a free government instead of being handed back to “a worse dictator.” Giuliani praised Maryam Rajavi’s leadership and affirmed his unwavering support for the NCRI’s struggle against the regime.
Giuliani also delivered scathing remarks against the Pahlavi dictatorship, calling Reza Pahlavi a symbol of “genetic decline” and describing his father as “a madman, coward, and a thief” who ruled through brutality, torture, and corruption. He emphasized that the Iranian people had already rejected monarchy through their revolution, and any attempt to revive it would be futile.
Senator Robert Torricelli emphasized the unprecedented coalition of Democrats, Republicans, liberals, and conservatives who have united over the years in support of Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI. He acknowledged the young Iranians who continue to fight for their homeland’s liberation and praised the NCRI for providing the organizational structure and resources necessary to achieve regime change. Torricelli stressed that history demonstrates justice will prevail, asserting that the downfall of the regime is inevitable.
Sen. Torricelli criticized proponents of restoring monarchy in Iran as out of touch with the aspirations of the Iranian people. He asserted that the same forces of repression that had ousted the Shah would continue to reject any attempt to impose another authoritarian regime, whether clerical or monarchial.
Ambassador Robert Joseph, former U.S. Undersecretary of State, noted that the clerical regime is now weaker and more isolated than ever before, both domestically and internationally. He emphasized that the regime’s brutality is a sign of its desperation, as it struggles to maintain control through repression and executions. Joseph stated that the international community must recognize the Iranian people’s right to overthrow their oppressors, just as Americans did over 250 years ago. He also called for maximum pressure on the regime, both politically and economically, and condemned any attempts to appease the regime.
Amb. Joseph highlighted that any attempt to revive the Pahlavi monarchy would be a betrayal of the Iranian people’s struggle for true freedom and democracy. He warned against “useful idiots” who whitewash the crimes of the Pahlavi dictatorship to undermine the NCRI’s efforts.
Joseph praised the NCRI and Maryam Rajavi for their steadfast leadership and urged the youth of Iran to follow her example. He concluded his remarks with Winston Churchill’s famous words: “Never, never, never give up,” urging the audience to continue the fight until victory is achieved.
The event concluded with resounding calls for continued pressure on the Iranian regime, recognition of the NCRI as a legitimate opposition, and unwavering support for the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy.