Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt delivered a forceful speech at the Free Iran rally in Brussels, calling for an end to Europe’s “failed strategy of appeasement” toward Tehran and urging decisive support for Iran’s democratic opposition.
Addressing tens of thousands of participants, Verhofstadt praised the “immense, massive presence of Iranians” as proof that “there is effectively a democratic alternative to the cruel and criminal mullahs’ regime.” He condemned Tehran’s record of repression, noting that “Iran under the mullahs has become the world record holder for the death penalty and for criminality.”
Verhofstadt warned that decades of Western engagement with the regime have emboldened it: “Appeasement has made things worse for the Iranian people, the Middle East, and the world,” citing Tehran’s support for extremist proxy groups as well as its military backing of Russia in Ukraine.
He proposed a new “strategy of engagement” built on three pillars: designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, expanding sanctions on Tehran’s leadership and key industries, and initiating structured dialogue with the democratic opposition led by Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
“Your massive presence here today proves there is an alternative,” he declared. “Let us meet next year in Tehran, in a free and democratic Iran.”
The full speech of Mr. Guy Verhofstadt follows:
Thank you very much, Mrs. Rajavi, for being so kind to organize this Free Iran rally, not in Paris, but this time in Brussels. And you see, normally in Brussels, it’s always raining. Today, there is sun. And that is a sign that things will also change in Iran and that next year we can have the rally in Tehran in Iran.
It’s also a sign, Mrs. Rajavi, [with] this immense, massive presence of Iranian people from outside Iran, that there is effectively a democratic alternative to the cruel and criminal mullahs’ regime in Iran.
Indeed, a criminal and an evil regime. A criminal and an evil regime that executes two Iranians every day. Iran under the mullahs has become the world record holder for the death penalty and for criminality.
And the message that I want to give today to you and to the international community is that the fact that the mullahs’ regime is still in Iran, [that it] can still continue its crimes, is proof of the failure of the strategy of appeasement that the international community, the West, and especially Europe, has followed until now.
In fact, the strategy of appeasement—talking to the mullahs about everything, about nuclear weapons—is proof that it is making things worse in Iran. It makes things worse, first of all, for the Iranian people who are suffering so long under this mullahs’ regime.
Yesterday in Brussels huge rally “FreeIran” with Mrs.Rajavi and Mike Pence ! pic.twitter.com/8L5vrSsvDC
— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) September 7, 2025
Secondly, it makes things worse for the region, because the mullahs’ regime is behind every one of the incidents we have seen in the last year in the Middle East, backing Hamas, backing the Houthis, backing Hezbollah.
Third, the strategy has made things worse for the stability of the world. It is Iran that is in fact backing Russia with military equipment against these Ukrainian civilians who are dying today. And finally, this strategy of appeasement has not eliminated the nuclear threat from Iran, because the mullahs’ regime does not respect its agreements on nuclear deterrence.
So, the conclusion of today has to be that instead of a strategy of appeasement, we need a new strategy from the international community and especially from Europe. A strategy of engagement. Positive engagement with the Iranian people, with the democratic opposition, and with the organized Resistance.
This strategy of engagement has to be based on three core elements that we have to put in place as fast as possible to get rid of the mullahs’ regime.
The first, basic element is to finally recognize the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, tomorrow.
Simay Azadi's exclusive interview with @guyverhofstadt at the #BrusselsFreeIranRally. He told our reporter @Ehsaneghbale that the large crowd in Brussels "is proof of the fact that there is a living democratic alternative for the regime in Iran." pic.twitter.com/Oq5aMmOI10
— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) September 9, 2025
Secondly, to increase the sanctions against the leadership of the country, be it their politicians, their bureaucrats, or their police, and certainly the Revolutionary Guard, but also sanctions on the sectors that are the backbone of the regime: banks, the oil sector.
And the third, most important element of such a new strategy needs to be to start a structural dialogue with the democratic opposition and to use the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Rajavi as the start for this structural dialogue.
We in the West, we in Europe, have to stop saying that there is no alternative to the mullahs. Your massive presence here today is proof of the contrary. You are the alternative to the mullahs in Tehran.
So, let’s start from here. Let’s start from this beautiful rally here in Brussels. And let’s set a rendezvous for next year in Tehran for a free and democratic Iran.
Thank you.