Speaking on the second day of the Free Iran 2026 World Summit in Paris, Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Tod Wolters strongly endorsed the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi for seizing the “strategic campaign momentum.” Acknowledging the complex, violent nature of modern geopolitics, Gen. Wolters emphasized that comprehensive national prosperity in Iran begins with a government that truly represents its people, enabling them to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
Gen. Wolters directly condemned the Iranian regime’s regional proxy networks, stating that Tehran’s backing of extremist militia groups “absolutely positively must be no more.” To counter this threat, he highlighted the critical role of MEK Resistance Units operating across all 31 Iranian provinces. He urged the opposition to maintain its resolve and stay the course toward achieving a free, prosperous nation.
A central theme of Gen. Wolters’ address was the “relentless pursuit of overcommunicating” unvarnished facts to global governments. He lauded the NCRI’s consistency in clearly documenting its purpose and democratic objectives since 2006. Ultimately, Gen. Wolters underscored that the future of Iran must be determined by the steadfast resolve of the Iranian people themselves to replace the corrupt regime. Applauding the patriots of Ashraf 3 and the global Iranian diaspora, he concluded that the organized resistance remains the ultimate strategic asset required to prevail.
Excerpts of Gen. Tod Wolters‘ speech follow:
Let me start out with a professional thanks to all of the speakers for today and for the speakers yesterday.
Your charity, your time, your intellect, your counseling, your advice, and your thoughts translate to lives saved on the battlespace, and we thank you dearly for that.
Let me add a personal thanks to all of the great patriots that represent Ashraf 3 in the back.
It is your relentless resiliency that sets the standard for loyalty, and with that, our Iranian Resistance will continue long into the future. Thank you.
Let me also add one professional and personal thanks to Madame Rajavi.
You inspire us all, and it is so evident based on what we saw on the screen, what we hear from the speakers, the spirit of the crowd, and the spirit of the citizens of Iran, that you have captured the strategic campaign momentum, and we are on our way to success. Thank you, ma’am.
As is often the case in 21st-century transitions, the world continues to reveal itself on how absolutely diabolically complicated it is.
Take, for example, the horrible events of yesterday. And take, for example, the disposition of the UK Prime Minister as he wakes up and attempts to govern.
It is a complex and complicated globe, and we all must be prepared to adapt and adjust to change.
The Iranian regime’s support of Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah absolutely positively must be no more.
But as General Jones pointed out in his discussion, this battle still has a long ways to go, and we will fight it.
To the great citizens of Iran, you deserve and yearn for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Comprehensive national prosperity starts with representing the good people of Iran, and that is you.
Working by, with, and through you remains a strategic imperative and a characteristic of success that Madame Rajavi has put together.
Former #NATO Commander General Tod Wolters supports NCRI's road map for a transition of power to the Iranian people post-regime change in #FreeIran2025 pic.twitter.com/ZXxWAE7Cjj
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 21, 2025
Now, to say all this, it’s really easy. But the reality is, it’s really complex.
The education that’s required to get a large group of individuals to follow the rules is very difficult.
The ability of leaders to adapt and field forces to adhere to these rules is diabolically complex and complicated.
That, coupled with the fact that most of us wake up every day and look at our phones or look on TV and we see horrible, horrible, brutal violence.
And this violence has a tendency to cloud the facts that exist in the environment and the battlespace, and it is certainly our charter to make sure that we all get the facts.
We must continue to adequately define the strategic problem and adequately solve the strategic problem. But we must do so on the backs of facts.
The facts: Resistance Units throughout Iran, evident in all 31 provinces, must and will stay the course, maintain resolve, and cling to our strategic objective that has been so sagely pointed out today.
We must gain a free and prosperous Iran. And we must gain a government that represents the citizens of Iran, who too are free and prosperous.
The NCRI has and must preserve and continue to boldly educate governments on this history, their purpose, their objectives, and use the unvarnished facts.
As you’ve heard from previous speakers, the NCRI over and over again has laid all of this out in print since 2006.
Our journey must be the relentless pursuit of overcommunicating all of these issues to all of the entities that are a critical part of the Iranian Resistance.
General Tod Wolters: Global peace requires a peaceful #MiddleEast, achievable only through a free, democratic republic of #Iran. Supporting the Iranian people's cause is essential to advancing this mission. pic.twitter.com/Kk5NgRfZsC
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 21, 2024
The future of Iran will be determined by the Iranian people and their steadfast resolve to field a government that represents the citizens and the citizens’ ability to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I repeated myself twice because that is an example of required overcommunication.
The patriots in Ashraf 3 and the good citizens of Iran around the globe deserve our efforts.
We applaud the NCRI and Maryam Rajavi’s efforts to rid Iran of the corrupt regime.
With you, the Iranian Resistance will persevere. This Iranian Resistance is our strategic asset, and with it, we will prevail. Thank you.