Washington, D.C. | April 8, 2025 — In a powerful show of bipartisan resolve, senior U.S. lawmakers, diplomats, military leaders, and national security experts convened in the U.S. Senate for a policy luncheon titled “Iran Policy”, declaring clear support for the Iranian people’s right to resist dictatorship and highlighting the critical role of the organized Iranian Resistance movement.
The event marked the official announcement of Senate Resolution 145, introduced by Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, with 14 original co-sponsors, calling for the protection of members of Ashraf 3, the headquarters of the Iranian Resistance in Albania, and recognizing their right to political expression and activism.
In a video message titled “A Decisive Strategy Relying on the Iranian People and the Iranian Resistance”, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), opened the conference by thanking the resolution’s sponsors: “On behalf of the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance, I extend my gratitude to the sponsors, Senator Tillis and Senator Shaheen, and all co-sponsors of Resolution 145.”
Mrs. Rajavi presented two distinct policy paths: appeasement and reform, which she called “a failed policy,” or a strategy based on empowering the Iranian people and the Resistance. “There is a correct strategy that can bring an end to the threats and existence of this regime, by relying on the Iranian people and the Resistance. This strategy is put into action by a resistance that has fighting forces on the ground—young people who are dedicated, organized, and led by the MEK.”
Message to the Conference at the U.S. Senate to announce resolution 145
A Decisive Political Strategy Relying on the People of Iran and the Iranian Resistance#FreeIran10PointPlan pic.twitter.com/9MFl8lssJF— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 8, 2025
She warned against misinformation designed to obscure the Resistance’s legitimacy. “The regime spreads the false notion that there is no alternative, using remnants of the previous dictatorship to spread lies about the Resistance. But it is this very force that has confronted the IRGC on the ground for 46 years.”
Mrs. Rajavi reiterated a longstanding principle: “We do not seek money, weapons, or foreign troops. What the people of Iran expect from the international community is recognition of their right to resist.” She concluded with a powerful call: “The United States Senate can take a historic step by passing a bill that recognizes the right of the Resistance Units to fight against the Revolutionary Guard Corps to overthrow the regime.”
Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco and longtime foreign policy advisor to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, moderated the event. He underscored the high stakes of the moment. “Behind the facade of this Iranian theo-military dictatorship lies a decaying Potemkin village, teetering on a threshold of free fall,” said Ambassador Ginsberg.
Bipartisan leaders came together at today’s Senate Event “IRAN POLICY: Countering Tehran’s War and Terror”
Speakers included @Maryam_Rajavi @CoryBooker @RoyBlunt @SenatorShaheen @LBJunior and General James Jones ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fK7rVOmJOJ
— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) April 8, 2025
“It must be pushed by a new strategy led by democratic forces from within, championed by the Iranian democratic forces of resistance led by the NCRI, and the forces of freedom and democracy from without who are growing in number, thanks to the leadership of NCRI’s president-elect, Maryam Rajavi.”
He also referenced the regime’s targeting of international gatherings like the 2018 Paris rally, noting, “There were almost 200,000 people who traveled from around the world to be there. It was the target of a terrorist plot by the Iranian regime.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Democratic Caucus, praised the courage of Ashraf 3 residents and reaffirmed U.S. support: “We are introducing a bipartisan resolution again this year, recognizing the people of Ashraf 3 Camp in Albania. We must continue our efforts to ensure a nuclear-free Iran.”
“Your bravery and courage in the face of all of these challenges has never faltered—despite oppression, despite threats, despite indifference.”
— Beth Dehghan (@dehghan_beth) April 8, 2025
Senator Cory Booker delivered one of the most passionate statements of the day: “This is one of those issues that’s not right or left—it’s right or wrong. The bravery of Iranian people who stand for justice, who’ve suffered torture and imprisonment, should be inspiring all of us.”
He concluded with hope and conviction: “One day we will all stand and celebrate that the people of Iran are free again… with a nation guided by a democratic North Star.”
Senator Roy Blunt, who has worked closely with the Iranian Resistance for years, emphasized the importance of internal change and organizing: “The people of Ashraf stand for resistance, they stand for democracy… but what’s even more important is what we can do to encourage protests in Iran.”
He drew attention to the youth of the country and the significance of Mrs. Rajavi’s platform: “Two-thirds of the people in Iran are under 40. They don’t remember anything but this regime. And they are every day demanding more… The Ten-Point Plan by Mrs. Rajavi is exactly the kind of future they deserve.”
General James Jones, former U.S. National Security Advisor and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, delivered a firm endorsement of the NCRI and its Resistance Units. “The NCRI represents the most organized, long-standing, and principled opposition to the clerical regime. For over four decades, they have maintained their struggle for a democratic, secular, non-nuclear Iran.”
Remarks at April 8 Senate luncheon calling for hearings aimed at an effective bipartisan policy to guard against the malign activity by Iran’s regime: https://t.co/ksbUN767yL via @YouTube
— Lincoln Bloomfield Jr (@LBJunior) April 9, 2025
He emphasized the NCRI’s track record in intelligence gathering and grassroots action: “They have built extensive networks within Iran through Resistance Units that coordinate protests and actions against the regime and act as an engine for change in Iran. They have repeatedly provided accurate intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program and terrorist activities.”
General Jones also highlighted Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as “a concrete roadmap for transitioning from theocracy to democracy,” and added: “Supporting the Iranian people and their organized Resistance in achieving this goal is not just morally right. It aligns perfectly with America’s strategic interest.”
Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs, denounced decades of Western misunderstanding of Iran and the demonization of the Resistance: “Every malignant narrative and allegation against the resistance has been fully investigated and researched, and all are false. We have the receipts.”
US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) remarks in support of struggle for freedom in #Iran, at 'IRAN'S FUTURE: A Free Non-Nuclear Republic, Alternative to Theocracy' briefing in the US Senate, on April 8, 2025. NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi was the keynote speaker.#NCRIAlternative pic.twitter.com/2TqO0d6qhZ
— Amir R. Bolurchi (@ablrchi) April 8, 2025
He called for immediate policy hearings and formal U.S. recognition of the Resistance’s legitimacy: “Anyone in 2025 who says the NCRI has no relevance to the future of Iran is either entirely ignorant of all these facts or is willfully aiding and abetting the clerical dictatorship.”
Renowned legal expert and Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz said in this gathering that the Iranian regime is “extraordinarily dangerous at the same time that it’s extraordinarily vulnerable,” warning that “nothing could be more dangerous” than such a regime acquiring nuclear weapons. He added, “There must be an absolute assurance that Iran can never develop nuclear arsenals,” and voiced his support for legislation recognizing “the right of the resistance units to fight against the Revolutionary Guard to overthrow the regime.”
