{"id":344398,"date":"2026-04-17T09:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=344398"},"modified":"2026-04-17T09:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:01:50","slug":"u-s-senate-briefing-on-iran-bipartisan-calls-for-a-democratic-republic-amidst-regional-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/u-s-senate-briefing-on-iran-bipartisan-calls-for-a-democratic-republic-amidst-regional-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Senate Briefing on Iran: Bipartisan Calls for a Democratic Republic Amidst Regional Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NCRI
NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi addresses a U.S. Senate briefing in Washington, D.C., via live broadcast on April 16, 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 On April 16, 2026, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators and former high-ranking diplomats convened for a high-stakes briefing titled “Iran: Towards Peace and Freedom.” Against a backdrop of portraits of recently executed members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) as well as other protesters, the speakers reached a rare consensus: neither foreign war nor continued appeasement can solve the Iranian crisis. Instead, they called for the recognition of the Iranian people\u2019s right to overthrow the current theocracy and established the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as the viable democratic alternative to both the current regime and the former monarchy.<\/p>\n

In a keynote address<\/a>, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi<\/strong>, President-elect of the NCRI,\u00a0asserted that \u201cthe solution to the crisis in Iran lies in its people, in their courage, and in their organized resistance.\u201d She argued that after 47 years of failed policies\u2014including appeasement, negotiations, and war\u2014the international community must recognize that the regime \u201cwill neither revise its policy of repression nor abandon its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the most important missing element in Western policy has been a \u201cfailure to recognize the role of the Iranian people and their organized resistance in bringing about change.\u201d She urged global lawmakers to focus their support on the \u201cResistance Units<\/a> that stand on the front lines of the struggle for freedom\u201d inside the country.<\/p>\n

Crucially, Mrs. Rajavi defined the political identity of the movement by rejecting all forms of dictatorship, stating: \u201cI must emphasize that the people of Iran do not want to return to the dictatorship of the Shah.\u201d She challenged the regime\u2019s claims of popular support, suggesting that if they truly had followers, they should \u201caccept a free election under United Nations supervision and based on the principle of popular sovereignty, not clerical rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a roadmap for a post-mullah Iran, Mrs. Rajavi presented the \u201cTen-Point Plan<\/a>\u201d as a plan for stability and peace. This vision outlines a future defined by \u201cfree elections, gender equality with participation of women in political leadership, the separation of religion and state, recognition of the rights of oppressed ethnic groups, a non-nuclear policy, and peaceful coexistence.\u201d She concluded by stating that the NCRI offers a credible framework for a peaceful transition, aiming to hold free elections within six months of the regime\u2019s fall to \u201chand over the power to the elected representatives of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This is a critical moment, not only in Iran\u2019s history, but also in the history of the Middle East and the world.
I call on all of you to support the Iranian people and Resistance, and their effort to bring about regime change.#FreeIran10PointPlan<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/Ep3Bn6niI7<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0KYvVxpEOT<\/a><\/p>\n

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n