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UPDATE: 11:00 PM CEST
Iran Resistance Leader Calls for ‘Regime Change’ Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, on Wednesday told the European Parliament the only way to bring about peace in the Middle East is a “regime change” in Iran, which is now exchanging air strikes with Israel.
She told members of the parliament of the European Union the change must be made by the “people of Iran and the organized resisters,” according to ABC News.
She spoke as Israel and President Trump suggest the next step after the air strikes, which started last week, would be removing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – amid failed negotiations between the U.S. and Iran for Tehran to stop the enrichment of uranium for the development of a nuclear weapon.
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST
Opposition Politician: “Regime Change” in Iran Must Come from the People
Prominent Iranian opposition figure Maryam Rajavi has called for the overthrow of the leadership in Tehran in light of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict—while stressing that this change must be achieved by the Iranian people themselves. “Regime change must come from the Iranian people and their Resistance,” said the President-elect of the exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) during a press briefing at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Rajavi warned against re-entering negotiations with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over the country’s nuclear program. The Tehran regime, she cautioned, “will never give up its uranium enrichment program.”
Khamenei, she added, is plunging the Iranian people “into war and instability to preserve his fragile and failing regime.”
Leader of Iranian Resistance: “Regime Change for Peace in the Region”
“The solution to this war and crisis,” triggered by Iran’s nuclear program, “lies in the overthrow of this regime and regime change by the Iranian people and their Resistance.”
So declared activist Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She emphasized that “lasting peace and security in this part of the world require regime change in Iran.”
Rajavi stressed that “our goal is not to seize power at any cost. Our goal is to secure freedom, democracy, and the Iranian people’s right to choose freely—at any cost.”
She further explained that “the Iranian issue, in its entirety, goes far beyond the regime’s nuclear program.”
Iranian Opposition Coalition Leader Calls for ‘Regime Change’
Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran — a coalition of dissident Iranian groups — told European lawmakers on Wednesday that only “regime change by the people of Iran and the organized resisters” can ensure regional peace. Israel’s Friday surprise attack, Rajavi said, represents “the beginning of a critical new chapter, both in Iran’s internal crisis and the broader dynamics of the region.”
Rajavi also appeared to criticize Iranian monarchists who have rallied around opposition leader Reza Pahlavi — the son of former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was deposed by the 1979 Iranian Revolution — who in recent days has called on Iranians to rise up against the government in Tehran.
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CEST
Iranian Opposition Leader Rajavi Calls for Regime Change
Iranian opposition figure Maryam Rajavi has once again called for a change of power in Tehran. Speaking at a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) stressed that such a change must come from the Iranian people themselves. “Regime change must not be imposed from outside or brought about through international intervention,” Rajavi stated. “The Iranian people and their Resistance must bring down the regime on their own.”
She also warned against a renewed round of international negotiations with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over the country’s nuclear program. Khamenei, she cautioned, “will never give up his uranium enrichment program” and is prepared to “plunge the country into war and instability to save his failing regime.”
Iranian Opposition in Exile: ‘A Snake Never Gives Birth to a Dove, We Demand Recognition of Our Resistance’
The leader of an Iranian opposition group banned by the Tehran regime declared that it is up to the Iranian people to overthrow the country’s theocratic rulers.
“The solution to this war and crisis lies in the overthrow of this regime and regime change by the Iranian people and their Resistance,” said Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), at a press conference in the European Parliament.
Rajavi criticized the West for engaging in negotiations with a regime she described as unreformable, an “exporter of terrorism,” and fundamentally incapable of change.
Keir Starmer Must Be Recalled – Iran Faces Anarchy Unless West Backs These 11 Proposals
Already Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of the deposed Shah, who has proclaimed himself “Reza Shah II” is on manoeuvres and jockeying to return in triumph. This must not be allowed to happen. US talk shows are idiotically presenting the self-styled “Crown Prince” as a viable alternative. This is a man who wants a monarchy restored and wants to work with the Islamic Republican Guard or IRGC. The IRGC is the arm of the Iranian state repression mechanism which has shot, arrested, tortured, raped and brutalised opponents of the regime at home and abroad for four decades.
Fortunately, a well-organised body dedicated to a free, democratic and secular Iran already exists and the UK, US and Europe should engage with it immediately – offering unqualified support.
It is called the National Council for the Resistance (NCRI) in Iran and almost certainly offers the best hope for Iran’s absolutely vital lightning-speed political and cultural transition.
Iranian Opposition Leader: Popular Uprising, Not War
“The Middle East crisis can only be resolved through the fall of the Tehran regime, which we can achieve not through dialogue or foreign war, but by supporting the Iranian people’s resistance struggle. I am not asking for weapons or money — only recognition.”
That was the message from Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), during a meeting at the European Parliament hosted by members from across the political spectrum.
“A cobra,” she said, “does not give birth to a dove.
Appeasement of the regime leads nowhere.”
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CEST
A Viable Solution to the Iran Crisis
The escalation in the Middle East over the past week has further heightened the already high tensions in the region. The incident brings renewed attention to a long-standing question posed by the international community: What is the root cause of Iran’s ongoing destabilization — and is there a solution? This text argues that the answer lies neither in more war nor in new negotiations, but in a third path: supporting the Iranian people’s own struggle for freedom and democracy.
Today, the Iranian regime is more isolated and vulnerable than at any time since the establishment of the theocracy in 1979. There is broad international consensus on the following points:
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The regime systematically violates human rights.
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It exports terrorism, including on European soil.
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It supports Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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It has built proxy militias in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
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For years, it has developed a controversial nuclear program.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM CEST
On Anniversary of Failed 2003 Plot, PMOI Resistance Units Blanket Iran with Calls for a Democratic Republic
On June 16, a coordinated campaign of defiance swept across Iran as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) Resistance Units marked the anniversary of a major political victory against the clerical regime. In cities from Tehran to Shiraz, activists displayed posters and banners bearing messages of freedom and democracy, reaffirming their commitment to overthrowing the theocracy.
These acts were not merely symbolic. They commemorated the anniversary of the failed June 17, 2003, plot, when the French government, in a deal with the Iranian regime, attempted to dismantle the Iranian Resistance on European soil. The ultimate failure of that plot, and the continued growth of the Resistance Units inside Iran today, tells a powerful story of resilience. It proves that the regime’s efforts to silence the opposition—whether through international political maneuvers or brutal domestic repression—have been defeated by an organized and unwavering movement for a free Iran.
Dizelabad Carnage: Regime Crackdown Leaves 9 Inmates Dead, Many Wounded
In the early hours of Monday, June 16, 2025, Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah became the site of one of the deadliest incidents in Iranian prisons in recent years. Reports indicate that a large-scale riot erupted following missile strikes near the facility, reportedly targeting a military-affiliated ammunition depot in the area. Amid the deafening sound of multiple explosions and growing fear and confusion among inmates, clashes broke out within the prison wards. According to informed sources, prison guards responded with extreme violence. Sources close to the prisoners’ families say that officers used live ammunition, firing directly at inmates. The result was at least 9 deaths and an unspecified number of injuries.
Evin Prison Surrounded by Special Forces Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Tehran’s Evin Prison has reportedly been placed under full lockdown by Iran’s Special Unit forces, following a surge in regional military conflict triggered by recent Israeli attacks. According to reliable sources, the siege includes Ward 8, which houses a significant number of political and ideological prisoners. As cross-border hostilities intensify, the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus has sharply increased surveillance and control measures across the political and civil landscape. This pattern, seen during past crises, raises growing concerns that the external conflict may be used as a pretext for internal repression.
Imminent Amputation Sentences for Five Prisoners in Iran
Human rights organizations have warned of the imminent execution of amputation sentences for five prisoners in the prisons of Urmia and Tabriz. These individuals, all convicted of theft, are facing one of the harshest and most inhumane physical punishments, as the Supreme Court of Iran has upheld rulings for the amputation of four fingers of their right hands. These sentences, issued under the so-called “Islamic hadd punishment for theft,” have once again drawn international attention to the Iranian judiciary’s practices.
The five prisoners — Morteza Esmaeilian, Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Shahivand, Mehdi Sharafian, and Kasra Karami — have received final and confirmed amputation sentences. In a recent development on June 8, 2025, three of these prisoners (Rostami, Shahivand, and Sharafian) were transferred to the execution ward and threatened with imminent amputation unless the plaintiffs grant their consent within one week. Informed sources also reported that the prisoners were forced to sign documents under duress, indicating preparations by the authorities to carry out the punishment promptly.
Tehran Confronts Airstrike Risks with Limited Shelters and Traffic Bottlenecks
In the wake of recent missile strikes reported across parts of Iran, particularly Tehran, public attention has turned to the availability of bomb shelters and civil defense measures. The question of why major Iranian cities lack such infrastructure is now a subject of renewed discussion among city officials, urban planning experts, and international observers. According to official statements, Tehran and other urban areas in Iran do not currently possess functional and accessible bomb shelters for civilian use. In a public session of the Tehran City Council in June 2025, council head Mehdi Chamran stated that most Iranian cities are unequipped with secure public shelters.
Day 5: Escalating Strikes and Diplomatic Tensions Grip Israel and Iran
Missile attacks intensify in Tehran and Israeli cities, as Trump urges evacuation and nuclear talks, while G7 and regional leaders call for de-escalation amid rising civilian tolls.
Updated: 22:30 PM
- State-run Entekhab Website, 3:04 PM: News agencies reported explosions in central Tehran. Al Mayadeen’s reporter stated Israeli warplanes attacked the Andarzgoo area in northern Tehran.
- Regime’s Chand Sanieh Telegram Channel, 3:38 PM: Bat Yam municipality, south of Tel Aviv, reported 80 buildings damaged by Iranian regime bombardment, with 22 at risk of collapse.
- Regime’s Chand Sanieh Telegram Channel, 3:32 PM: Severe explosions shook Alavijeh Industrial Town in Shahin Shahr, Esfahan.
- Regime’s Chand Sanieh Telegram Channel, 3:25 PM: Reports indicate Israel targeted Esfahan’s fighter base.
- Reuters, 3:00 PM: The Israeli military announced it completed a wave of attacks in western Tehran hours ago.
- Reuters, 1:06 PM: Israel’s Defense Minister: Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow are a matter that will be addressed, though Israel cannot achieve this alone.
Iran: Regime Carries Out Massacre in Kermanshah Prison Under Shadow of War with Israel – OpEd
In a stark display of the Iranian regime’s brutality, security forces massacred prisoners in Dizel-Abad prison in Kermanshah on June 16 after the inmates pleaded for safety.
The incident began after a nearby military site was struck by an Israeli airstrike, causing an explosion that shattered the prison’s windows and shook its walls. Fearing for their lives, inmates in wards 2, 3, and 8 began protesting, demanding to be moved to a secure location away from the immediate danger zone.
The regime’s response was not protection, but a hail of live ammunition. As one report from inside the prison starkly noted, “The prisoners insisted they be moved from areas where windows had shattered and where they feared further missile strikes. The regime’s answer was bullets.”
Iranian Resistance Capable of ‘Shaking Up’ Government’s Regime Foundations Exists
Iran policy expert Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan has claimed that by the end of the conflict, an Iranian “democratic state” will emerge.
Mr Sheehan has claimed the NCRI, which is in a political coalition calling to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a viable party to lead the nation.
“Their long-standing commitment is to secularism and democracy and gender equality and a non-nuclear Iran,” he told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power.
“They serve as a decentralised, but highly coordinated movement, that is really capable of shaking the regime’s foundations.”