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The Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) erupted in a furious denunciation on May 20, 2025, responding to a significant initiative by over 550 British parliamentarians. The UK lawmakers had called for the terrorist designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and voiced support for the Iranian people’s quest for democratic change, including Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan. The Majlis’s vitriolic reaction, laden with threats and accusations, starkly reveals Tehran’s profound agitation over the growing international backing for the Iranian Resistance.
In a statement read during a Majlis session, members “strongly condemned” what they termed the “ill-advised and malicious action” by the British MPs. The regime’s parliamentarians did not attempt to address the substantive concerns raised by UK lawmakers regarding the IRGC’s extensive record of terrorism and human rights abuses. Instead, they resorted to familiar tactics, claiming the UK initiative “was openly carried out under the instigation of the terrorist and hated [PMOI].” This direct attribution to the PMOI, whom the regime refers to with the derogatory term “monafeqin” (hypocrites), underscores the Resistance’s pivotal role in galvanizing international opinion.
The Majlis statement escalated to direct threats, warning, “the potential decision by the British government to name the IRGC as terrorist… will be met with the legal and reciprocal reaction of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It further specified, “based on Article 7 of the Counter-Action Law passed by the Majlis, if such a decision is implemented, British military forces and their bases in the West Asia region and the Persian Gulf will be placed on the list of aggressor entities, and appropriate actions will be taken.” The session was punctuated by chants of “Death to England” from the assembled deputies.
Honoured to join fellow parliamentarians from across the globe at the #FreeIran2025 Conference hosted by President Elect @Maryam_Rajavi.
We gathered to show our support for Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for a free and democratic Iran! pic.twitter.com/G8jXjCTZIQ
— Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) May 19, 2025
The cross-party letter from UK lawmakers, addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urged the proscription of the IRGC amid pressing national security concerns. It highlighted that “appeasing this faltering regime betrays democratic values, emboldens its repressive policies, and undermines global security as Tehran continues its nuclear ambitions and terrorism.” Crucially, the letter emphasized the need for the international community to “recognize the Iranian people’s right to regime change” and stated, “The right of MEK resistance units, who play a key role in this popular push for change, to fight the IRGC must also be acknowledged, and the IRGC should be designated as a terrorist organization.”
Rather than engaging with the grave concerns raised, the Majlis statement attempted to deflect criticism by reciting a litany of historical grievances against Britain. It also sought to portray the IRGC as a legitimate national institution, claiming it “is a formal and legal institution that, based on the constitution…protects the country’s independence and territorial integrity.” In a particularly detached assertion from reality, the statement suggested that international pressure would not “weaken the national will of Iran but will lead to greater solidarity of the people with the revolutionary armed forces…especially the IRGC.”
At the #FreeIran2025 Conference, a senior UK parliamentary delegation presented a book signed by a majority of members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords—over 500 lawmakers—supporting the Iranian people, the NCRI, and Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for a… pic.twitter.com/GwS2TBjCwE
— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) May 18, 2025
The Iranian regime’s panicked and aggressive response to the principled stand taken by UK parliamentarians serves only to highlight its increasing international isolation and profound fear of the organized Iranian Resistance. As global voices increasingly align with the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy, Tehran’s reliance on threats and historical revisionism demonstrates not strength, but a deepening crisis of legitimacy. The clear identification of the PMOI as the driving force behind such international initiatives is a testament to the effectiveness of the Resistance in exposing the regime’s nature and championing a democratic alternative for Iran.