At an online conference held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on March 15, 2026, Baroness Nuala O’Loan, a member of the UK House of Lords, delivered a powerful message of solidarity with the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom. Characterizing the current period as a “vitally important moment,” Baroness O’Loan provided a sobering analysis of the clerical regime’s escalating threats to international security and reaffirmed the legitimacy of the NCRI as the leading democratic alternative to religious fascism.
During her address, Baroness O’Loan highlighted the alarming rise in the regime’s “diplomacy of terror,” noting that British security services have thwarted at least 15 kidnapping and assassination attempts against Iranian dissidents in the United Kingdom since 2022. Citing recent UK intelligence reports, she described the regime’s threat as “persistent” and “entirely unpredictable,” justifying the UK’s decision to designate Iran on the advanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
The Baroness issued a stern warning against the deceptive tactics of those promoting “monarchical illusions.” She specifically denounced supporters of the Shah’s son for misappropriating the signatures of British Parliamentarians to manufacture false legitimacy. Reaffirming that the future of Iran must be determined by the will of its people, she called for the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and the expulsion of the regime’s “diplomat-terrorists” as a necessary step to protect democratic values and Iranian dissidents.
Concluding her remarks, Baroness O’Loan saluted the “extraordinary courage” of NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, noting her forty-year leadership in the face of deadly struggle. She emphasized that the NCRI and the Resistance Units on the ground provide the only realistic framework for a secular and democratic republic in Iran.
The full text of Baroness O’Loan’s speech follows:
Thank you very much, Madam President Rajavi, distinguished guests, members of the world community who act in support of the struggle for a democratic and free Iran, ladies and gentlemen, friends.
It this really is such a vitally important moment for Iran, and I am deeply honored to be participating in this conference.
Maryam, if I may call you so, my friend, your courage over 40 years has been extraordinary and have led your people through a deadly struggle. You have lost so many people whom you loved, and you have dedicated your life to this work.
The current war I think must be in some ways so very difficult for those of you both inside and outside Iran, the shutdown of communications, the lack of knowledge about what is happening, the struggle which is going on among the PMOI to assert the democracy and freedom which you seek is vitally important.
I salute the courage and the determination of all those in Iran who are working currently to seek that freedom and democracy. Madam Rajavi, I commend you and I commend all your colleagues for your bravery and for your courage over more than four decades.
Even in our Parliament, we have seen supporters of Reza Pahlavi gathering parliamentary signatures in support of the women of Iran and then using those signatures wrongly to seek meetings with the government, the United Kingdom government for the son of the Shah.
Baroness O'Loan: "Days before the #IranWar, #MEKResistanceUnits took the unprecedented step of confronting Khamenei's stronghold with an offensive against his compound, risking their lives but shattering the regime's climate of fear." pic.twitter.com/C6N8WOSRCS
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 5, 2026
This was wrong. It was purporting to use parliamentarians’ names to promote the son of the Shah without their consent and we have protested about that and the posts which were posted on X etc. have now been removed but this should not have happened and it’s yet another example of the tactics adopted by these people.
Last July, the Intelligence Security Committee in the United Kingdom issued a report about the situation in Iran and they said that it posed a wide-ranging threat to national security in the United Kingdom and across the world and that they could not be underestimated, that is persistent and that it was entirely unpredictable.
And since 2022 when the previous major uprising occurred, there’s been a sharp rise in physical attacks and kidnappings or assassination attempts in the United Kingdom as well. Our security services and police have stopped at least 15 murders or kidnapping attempts against British nationals or UK-based individuals, people of Iran working for a free Iran in the United Kingdom since 2022.
The threat has increased sharply and there is now an acute national security and human rights concern for the people of Iran. So, what has happened to in the United Kingdom is that we have designated Iran on the advanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, evidence of the threat posed by Iran.
LONDON, October 11, 2025 — Baroness O’Loan announced a statement signed by over 500 global dignitaries demanding “an immediate halt to executions” in #Iran, prosecution of perpetrators of past and present crimes, and urgent @UN action to stop further atrocities. pic.twitter.com/t21XPgxbBO
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 19, 2025
Anyone working for or directing the or directed by the Iranian state is at peril if they carry out such activities without complying with the requirements of registration of this scheme. It is vitally important and we have to promote coordinated international action against this type of activity by this such this terrible regime.
And to ensure information and data sharing between the United Kingdom and all the countries who can help Iran and institutions such as the Council of Europe, Interpol, the G7 rapid response mechanism, the OSCE and the United Nations itself.
And as we all know in January this year the people of Iran rose up and we have watched the war and we have watched President Trump move in. We know that tens of thousands of Iranians have been killed when after the rising.
I have called for the closure of the Iranian embassy in London for the expulsion of the diplomats, the Iranian diplomats in London because there is evidence of coordinated attempts to silence Iranian dissidents on our soil.
We must work with others to condemn and to remove these Iranian state threats. We have done many things, the United Kingdom has sanctioned over 500 individuals and organizations including the entire IRGC but it’s not enough, it’s still not enough.
At the London conference marking #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty, Baroness O’Loan condemned the Iranian regime’s record executions: “Every 3.5 hours, someone is executed. You are not alone — your courage lights the path to an #Iran without fear.” pic.twitter.com/FaEOhUGltu
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 14, 2025
We must close the embassy, we must work with our allies to help you but above all we know that you need our support at this critical time and I can assure you Madam Rajavi that that support is with you and that those of us in the United Kingdom Parliament who have worked for you, some for many more years than I have worked here and who know you very well as a very courageous leader.
And all the people who work with you, the men and the women who work for the freedom and democracy in Iran and who have created the 10-point plan which you established and have now presented as part of the plans of the provisional government. These are the things which will lead Iran into freedom and democracy. I congratulate you so much on all that you’ve done, I commend your courage and I support you in all that you will do.
Thank you.