On September 22, 2026, addressing thousands of Iranians and NCRI supporters outside the United Nations in New York, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, said political change in Iran ultimately depends on the Iranian people themselves and called on them to organize and resist the ruling establishment.
Gen. Kellogg argued that military strikes and sanctions had weakened Tehran but would not by themselves produce lasting political change. He likewise rejected reliance on negotiations, saying freedom would require sustained action from within Iran. Pointing to Resistance Units operating across the country, he described them as an “engine of change” and said those gathered in New York were giving international voice to their activities.
He also highlighted the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s proposed provisional government and Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, describing them as a roadmap toward a secular, non-nuclear republic based on free elections.
Gen. Kellogg characterized the Iranian regime’s escalating executions, threats, and repression as evidence of vulnerability rather than strength. Concluding with repeated appeals for action and sacrifice, he told Iranians that the responsibility for securing freedom rested ultimately with them, declaring several times: “Your time is now.”
The full text of Gen. Kellogg’s speech follows. This transcript has been edited for publication and clarity.Â
🚨 Lt. General Keith Kellogg (Ret.), former Assistant to the President Trump and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, remarks at the rally by thousands of supporters of the NCRI and its President-elect Maryam Rajavi, outside UN HQ, on Sept 22, 2026. pic.twitter.com/w2u8XPlatl
— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) September 24, 2026
Good morning.
Thank you for being here today.
Your presence here today is important. You are sending a message of hope and resistance — hope to the people of Iran.
And you are telling the world today: You are not forgotten — you, the people, and the hope that comes with the need to resist against the fundamentalists who currently subjugate the people of Iran.
Your time is now.
A people who want peace from the perils of war and a chance for a better life — that is the fate you deserve. It is the fate you must fight for.
To have a free Iran, you must free Iran.
You must have no illusions.
A free Iran is dependent upon you and who you are.
You are the ones who must resist. You are the ones to free Iran from the oppressive Revolutionary Guards.
Today, you send a message.
You tell the leaders of the world who are gathered today at the United Nations that your freedom is not negotiable.
Today, we hear you.
You have the means for a new government today.
🚨 Simay Azadi Exclusive Interview with Gen. @generalkellogg
In an exclusive interview with Simay Azadi on the sidelines of the September 22 protest in New York, Gen. Keith Kellogg said that regime change in Iran is “the only way you’re going to change the entire region, and to… pic.twitter.com/lMhfn2J7IY— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) September 23, 2026
Today also marks the 45th anniversary of the NCRI, of the provisional government, currently led by Maryam Rajavi.
The NCRI has the blueprint for Iran’s future governance, one of freedom.
That blueprint, that path, will not be easy, but it must be done by you.
Sixty-one years ago, the MEK was founded.
There are currently Resistance Units in all 31 provinces of Iran.
They are acting as the engine of change and pursuing a strategy of confronting the Revolutionary Guards in combination with the people.
You here today give voice to their efforts.
It is a message of resilience, a message of steadfastness, a message of readiness to pay the price for freedom for Iran.
It is a time of hope.
It is a time now to free Iran from the mullahs.
You have paid the price in resisting the Shah and the current theocracy.
It is not easy, but freedom has always been hard, with sacrifices.
You have a roadmap for the future, a roadmap of transition to a secular, non-nuclear Republic of Iran, one that rejoins the free world as a friend.
Your platform, the Ten-Point Plan of the NCRI, is the way forward.
Gen. Keith Kellogg, former U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine: “Your presence today is important. You are sending the message of hope and resistance to the people of Iran.”@generalkellogg https://t.co/NqW4KAKLae#FreeIran2026NYRally #NCRIAlternative
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) September 22, 2026
Your time is now.
The current regime has never been so weak.
It talks loudly, but its words ring hollow.
Their words are threats. Their words are violence. Their words are hatred.
Yours are words of hope — hope for the future, hope for Iran.
Their governance has led to the executions of hundreds this year alone.
It is a sign of weakness, of fear, of vulnerability — not of strength.
They have been offered peace by President Trump, and they have rejected it.
They do not want to relinquish their nuclear weapons program, their terror network, their support of aggressive proxy networks — the price for a stabilized and peaceful region.
You here today, and you in Iran, can change that.
Military attacks and sanctions have greatly weakened the regime, but they will not lead to change.
That change is dependent upon the people of Iran.
It will involve greater sacrifice and greater dedication.
There will be more martyrs.
There will be more sacrifice.
The road to freedom is never easy, but for your children and your grandchildren, it needs to be done.
You cannot negotiate your way to freedom.
National Council of Resistance of Iran rally in New York https://t.co/QYr24hQ3Ck
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 22, 2026
You must force it.
You must fight for it.
You must sacrifice for it, even more than before.
Your time is now.
That is your path for freedom.
Establish your provisional government.
Commit to those free elections.
Commit to those who fight.
And do it today.
Hazer! Hazer! Hazer!
Azadi!