On May 31, 2025, Emanuele Pozzolo, Member of the Italian Parliament and a member of the Foreign and Community Affairs Commission, delivered a forceful address at the second session of the 2025 Free Iran international conference. Speaking in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and President-elect Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, Pozzolo denounced the Iranian regime as unreformable and deceptive.
He described the regime as a “regime of bullies,” now crumbling under internal unrest and international pressure. He pointed to five national uprisings in seven years as undeniable evidence of deep, systemic rejection from all sectors of Iranian society. Pozzolo warned against falling for the regime’s illusion of “moderation,” calling it a propaganda tactic used whenever the regime is in crisis.
He also cautioned against false alternatives tolerated or even encouraged by Tehran, naming Reza Pahlavi directly as one such figure. The only legitimate and organized alternative, Pozzolo said, is the NCRI, and the proof lies in the regime’s persistent efforts to defame, threaten, and attack its members and supporters.
He concluded by honoring those who risk their lives inside Iran and declared that the Resistance will not be silenced — not by propaganda, not by bullets.
The following is a translated version of the speech.
L’unica alternativa al regime terrorista e fondamentalista degli ayatollah ha un nome e un cognome: @Maryam_Rajavi!#FreeIran2025 #NCRIalternative 🍀 pic.twitter.com/SXA0yVVPAU
— Emanuele Pozzolo (@EmanuelePozzolo) June 5, 2025
Dearest Madam, thank you.
It’s always wonderful to be here with you, with our Iranian friends, to stand together with so many colleagues from across the world who continue to support you — with all the affection we can give and with all the courage you inspire in us. Thank you.
A year ago, right here in Paris, thanks to you and with you, I tried to define — in very simple terms — the regime that is harming Iran. It’s an intuitive definition, one anyone can understand: it is a regime of bullies. And I said then that this regime of bullies was beginning to crack. Bullies seem to win, but they never win in the end.
And what is happening now confirms exactly that. Iran — and the world — are at a pivotal moment. In recent months, Iran has experienced an unimaginable level of destabilization. The death of Raisi has made clear to the world the fragility of a system that pretends to be strong but is, in truth, profoundly weak.
Five nationwide uprisings in seven years — that’s not a coincidence. That is the voice of a society that no longer accepts this regime. From the youth to the elderly, from women to workers, from the marginalized to the elite — they are all resisting.
We, in the free world — West or non-West — must recognize that Iran is at the center of global geopolitics. We cannot afford timidity or feed ourselves false hopes.
Because when the regime is at its weakest, it always plays the same card: “moderation.” They invent a new figure and label him a moderate. We’ve seen this before — with Khatami, with Rouhani — and we see it again now.
It is a lie.
There is no moderation in this tyrannical regime. There is only a chameleon-like ability to disguise its true nature: a fundamentalist, terrorist regime. It is unreformable.
If we want to speak honestly, we must say clearly: this regime cannot be reformed. Hoping for dialogue, for promises, for reassurances — that is not just naïve, it is foolish.
What should we do?
We must recognize another tactic the regime uses — and has used for years — especially in the West: the promotion of false alternatives. Tehran is full of clever strategists — criminals, yes, but intelligent — and they try to convince the world that multiple alternatives exist.
.@EmanuelePozzolo: The only alternative the regime fears—and persecutes—is @Maryam_Rajavi and the NCRI. Their lies and propaganda target all supporters. When ignored, this paves the way for terror, like the attack on my friend @VidalQuadras.
https://t.co/3FRAg5Npgq— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 31, 2025
One of these is Reza Pahlavi. He travels Europe and the United States, claiming to offer an alternative. But Iranians have already lived through the Pahlavi era — and it was just as oppressive and violent.
We must have the courage to name the truth: there is only one true alternative. And I have proof. The only real alternative has a name: Maryam Rajavi.
But like all great freedom movements, no single person can carry it alone — no matter how enlightened. That’s why you are here. That’s why we have the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). That’s why we see men, women, and youth dedicating their lives — and in Iran, risking them.
This is the only true alternative.
And here is the proof: it’s the only alternative the regime truly persecutes. The propaganda, the fake news, the threats — they target Mrs. Rajavi, the MEK, the NCRI, and even us — their supporters. Those of us who travel here, who sign statements, who give our voice to this cause.
That fake news — those lies — orchestrated from Tehran and tolerated by too many powers, are not harmless. They are often the prelude to terrorism.
Let me mention one name: Alejo Vidal-Quadras — our dear friend. A friend of Iran’s freedom. They tried to silence him. Permanently.
And so, I conclude with this: If Tehran tries to silence us with bullets, we respond with courage — and with a smile. We will not stop speaking — in the name of justice and freedom.
Long live Iran. Long live a free Iran.