Members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and supporters of the Iranian Resistance gathered on April 19, 2026, for a conference titled “Towards a Democratic Republic,” where speakers urged the formation of a broad popular front to topple Iran’s clerical regime and rejected both theocratic rule and any restoration of the monarchial dictatorship. The event, held amid recent uprisings, the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and regional conflicts, featured former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Dr. Maria Ryan alongside Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI President-elect.
Mrs. Rajavi delivered the opening address, warmly welcoming the American guests and outlining the Resistance’s vision for Iran’s future. “We extend our warmest welcome to Mr. Giuliani and dear Dr. Ryan,” she said. “You stood alongside the Iranian people and Resistance in their most difficult times, and for many years you have supported the vanguards of the people of Iran in Ashraf.” She recalled Giuliani’s condemnation of the 2013 Ashraf massacre and the relocation to Camp Liberty, which he called “a killing field,” along with his early visits to MEK members in Albania and his successful fight to remove the group’s unjust terrorist designation. Mrs. Rajavi also thanked Dr. Ryan for her steadfast defense of Iranian women’s rights.
She then turned to recent developments that have irreversibly weakened the regime. “Over the past year—and particularly in recent months—Iran has witnessed profound and unprecedented developments. The major uprising of January, the killing of thousands of protesters by the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the death of Ali Khamenei, and two devastating wars have brought the country to a decisive turning point.” Mrs. Rajavi highlighted the MEK’s more than 630 resistance-unit operations that protected demonstrators and a daring raid on Khamenei’s headquarters by 250 fighters just days before renewed conflict. “The mullahs are particularly alarmed by the growing appeal of this movement among the new generation,” she stated, noting the extraordinary courage of executed political prisoners, six of them MEK members.
On Sunday, April 19, at an event attended by Mr. @RudyGiuliani and Dr. @MariaRyanNH, recent developments and solutions to the current crisis in Iran and the region were discussed. pic.twitter.com/zGJFE3QBpc
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 21, 2026
The NCRI President-elect warned that the regime exploited remnants of the former monarchy to sabotage the uprising’s momentum. “The opportunistic and questionable intervention of the Shah’s son… gave the regime a free hand to unleash a large-scale crackdown.” She stressed that aerial bombardment or external concessions alone cannot bring down the regime. Lasting change, she insisted, must come from the Iranian people and their organized Resistance. Mrs. Rajavi concluded by calling for a decisive “No to Shah, No to Mullahs” front: “The formation of a broad-based popular front that rejects both monarchy and theocratic rule is essential to overthrowing religious fascism. This ‘No to Shah, No to Mullahs’ front is an inclusive and expansive coalition in which all segments of society can participate.” She added that the Resistance’s Ten-Point Plan offers the roadmap to a pluralistic, democratic republic grounded in popular sovereignty, gender equality, and separation of religion and state.
Mayor Rudy Giuliani then took the floor with a fiery address praising the Resistance’s resilience and condemning the Iranian regime. He described the audience at Ashraf as large, spirited, energetic, and optimistic despite years of hardship, expressing honor in speaking alongside Mrs. Rajavi and the exceptional supporters gathered there. Giuliani recalled his past visits and eagerness to return. He denounced the regime as “the greatest terrorist entity in 47 years,” likening its leaders Khomeini and Khamenei to Hitler for the scale of their killings. “When you go beyond killing 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 people, the numbers no longer matter,” he said, drawing on his experience as a young prosecutor trying commanders of Nazi forced-labor camps where tens of thousands were murdered.
Mayor Giuliani sharply criticized remnants of the former monarchy, accusing the Shah’s family of historically blocking democracy through foreign oil deals. He called the current claimant a “fabricated and fake alternative” whose only claim rests on inherited wealth stolen from the Iranian people. “The bitter irony of the past 47 years is that one of the individuals trying to position himself to control Iran… is a descendant and heir to two people who were responsible for over a century of torture in Iran,” Giuliani stated. He dismissed the notion as unrealistic and harmful, arguing it distracts from genuine popular uprising and gives the regime cover for crackdowns. Mayor Giuliani paid tribute to six recently executed MEK members—Vahid, Pouya, Babak, Mohammad, Akbar, and Abolhasan—calling them martyrs who faced death with courage and laughter, proving the Resistance’s unbreakable spirit. He asserted that even Khamenei acknowledged the MEK as the only force capable of taking power and predicted the regime’s collapse without negotiation. Mayor Giuliani hailed Mrs. Rajavi’s leadership in forging a democratic Iran that bridges faiths and brings lasting regional peace. He ended by declaring his long-standing support for regime change, stating he had been “pro-regime change 46, 47 years ago” when the mullahs first took American hostages.
These two men were executed this morning. In less than a month eight members of the MEK resistance units. This clearly shows the regime's fear of the MEK as an existential threat https://t.co/Gdus8v2FQa
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) April 20, 2026
Dr. Maria Ryan, closed the speeches by sharing powerful insights from her repeated visits to Ashraf and vigorously defending the Resistance against smears. She recounted moving encounters with women residents, describing their dedication, courage, and unbreakable spirit as an inspiration to all who seek freedom in Iran. Dr. Ryan emphasized how these women embody the hope for a democratic future, having endured years of hardship while maintaining optimism and resolve. She praised Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a carefully designed “roadmap” for a free Iran, outlining clear principles of democracy, gender equality, separation of religion and state, and free elections that provide a practical path forward.
Dr. Ryan underscored the vital role of international solidarity, noting that the world has witnessed the regime’s brutality through the January uprising and subsequent executions. She highlighted the human cost of the struggle, recalling specific stories of residents she met who had sacrificed everything for the cause. Ryan firmly rejected propaganda attacks on the Mujahedin-e Khalq, calling them products of the regime’s sophisticated disinformation machinery aimed at undermining the Resistance. She expressed deep admiration for the organized networks of Resistance Units that have grown into a grassroots force capable of confronting the regime from within society itself.
Back to back brutal regimes in Iran. Hear about the brutality under the Shah with the Savak police called the death squad and the brutal IRGC under the Ayatollah pic.twitter.com/Yg894kK7U1
— Dr. Maria (@MariaRyanNH) April 20, 2026
Dr. Ryan stressed that true change cannot come from external forces alone but must be led by the Iranian people and their organized opposition. Her remarks reinforced the conference’s central message: the future of Iran belongs neither to the mullahs nor to any monarchical restoration, but to the democratic revolution championed by the Resistance. She called on global leaders to stand with the Iranian people, support the “No to Shah, No to Mullahs” front, and recognize the MEK’s indispensable role in achieving a pluralistic republic. Dr. Ryan’s address left attendees energized, affirming that sustained international backing combined with the Resistance’s internal momentum will ultimately bring down the clerical dictatorship.
The conference reinforced the Resistance’s Ten-Point Plan for a free Iran and signaled growing momentum ahead of further unrest. Organizers described the gathering as a clear message: the future belongs to neither the mullahs nor the Shah, but to the Iranian people’s democratic revolution.