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Iranian Main Opposition Elects a Woman as New Secretary General
Amid one of the most tense phases in recent Iranian history, a development has taken place within the organized opposition that deserves greater attention in Europe as well. On September 6, the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Mahnaz Maimanat was elected as the new Secretary General for a two-year term.
The election took place in three stages with the participation of organization members in France, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Albania. In the first round, competing against two other female candidates, Maimanat received 56 percent of the vote, and 85 percent in the second round. In the final vote, she was elected with near-unanimous approval from the participating members. Maimanat has been part of the organization’s leadership for many years and had been serving at the level of Secretary General since 2021.
Change Must Come from Within Iran
The significance of this election goes beyond a simple change in personnel. Iran is in the midst of a deep economic and social crisis. At the same time, the leadership’s concern over new protests and another nationwide uprising is unmistakable. That one of the most important and most strongly organized opposition forces is renewing its leadership in this situation is therefore a signal of continuity—and simultaneously of preparation for a new political phase.
After Four Decades of Prison and Persecution, Ali Moezzi Marks 61 Years of PMOI Resistance
Veteran political prisoner Ali Moezzi has marked the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) with a message from Ghezel Hesar Prison declaring that decades of repression have failed to halt the organization’s growth or extinguish resistance inside Iran.
Moezzi’s confrontation with the regime stretches back more than four decades. He was imprisoned from 1981 to 1984 in Ghezel Hesar, Evin, and Gohardasht and suffered physical and psychological torture whose effects persisted long afterward. He has subsequently been repeatedly arrested over his support for the PMOI.
Most recently, in March 2026, Moezzi was among political prisoners forced into solitary confinement during the violent Ghezel Hesar raid that immediately preceded a succession of executions of six imprisoned PMOI members.
Yet his anniversary message focuses not on his own suffering but on what he describes as the PMOI’s “61 years of evolutionary life,” built around enduring principles of “unity, emancipation, and freedom” and opposition to dictatorship and dependence.
Iran’s Ruling Factions Clash Over Ending the War and the Strait of Hormuz as Hardliners Attack Rouhani
Former President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks on keeping the Strait of Hormuz commercially active, ending the war “with dignity” and consulting public opinion have triggered a new wave of attacks from hardline factions.
Hassan Rouhani’s latest remarks on the Strait of Hormuz and the need to end the war have brought back into public view a dispute that had been running inside Iran’s ruling establishment since the 40-day war and the Islamabad memorandum. This time, the confrontation is not limited to the former president and hardline media; at the same time in parliament, lawmakers close to the Paydari Front are clashing with the government and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over wartime security policies.
In his recent remarks, Rouhani placed three issues alongside one another: the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz commercially active, ending the war, and consulting the public over whether a prolonged conflict should continue. The newspaper Hammihan, quoting Rouhani, reported that he said the “prosperity” of the Strait of Hormuz matters and asked whether, if Iran were to be “at war with global powers for 20 years,” the public should not be consulted.
MEK Supporters in Heidelberg Commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the PMOI’s Founding
Heidelberg, Germany – September 5, 2026: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) set up a book table and photo exhibition in Heidelberg to mark the 61st anniversary of the PMOI’s founding.
Alongside commemorating the anniversary, they renewed their pledge to honor the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom—from the organization’s three founders to more than 100,000 PMOI members and supporters killed under the clerical dictatorship, as well as those who have lost their lives in Iran’s nationwide uprisings.
MEK Supporters Rally in Malmö to Mark the 61st Anniversary of the PMOI’s Founding
Malmö, Sweden – September 5, 2026: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Malmö to mark the 61st anniversary of the PMOI’s founding.
Alongside commemorating the anniversary, they renewed their pledge to honor the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom—from the organization’s three founders to more than 100,000 PMOI members and supporters killed under the clerical dictatorship, as well as those who have lost their lives in Iran’s nationwide uprisings.
MEK Supporters in Berlin Commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the PMOI’s Founding
Berlin, Germany – September 5, 2026: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Berlin to celebrate and commemorate the 61st anniversary of the PMOI’s founding.
Alongside celebrating and commemorating the anniversary, they reaffirmed their unwavering support for the PMOI’s struggle to achieve freedom, democracy, and equality in a free and democratic republic in Iran.
They also emphasized their continued support for the PMOI’s Resistance Units inside Iran and for the courageous political prisoners who continue to stand against the regime from within its prisons and voice their support for the PMOI.