{"id":348409,"date":"2026-09-29T09:55:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=348409"},"modified":"2026-09-29T09:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:55:54","slug":"amb-carla-sands-lasting-change-in-iran-must-come-from-iranian-people-and-organized-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/amb-carla-sands-lasting-change-in-iran-must-come-from-iranian-people-and-organized-resistance\/","title":{"rendered":"Amb. Carla Sands: Lasting Change in Iran Must Come from Iranian People and Organized Resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_348383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-348383\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-348383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026.jpeg\" alt=\"Amb. Carla Sands addresses a rally in New York on September 22, 2026, to protest the presence of the Iranian regime\u2019s delegation at the UN General Assembly\" width=\"1000\" height=\"564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026-768x433.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026-745x420.jpeg 745w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026-150x85.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026-696x393.jpeg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-348383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amb. Carla Sands addresses a rally in New York on September 22, 2026, to protest the presence of the Iranian regime\u2019s delegation at the UN General Assembly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 22, 2026, addressing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/new-york-rally-urges-action-against-irans-executions-highlights-resistance-units-and-rejects-return-to-monarchy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thousands of Iranians<\/a> and NCRI supporters outside the United Nations in New York, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands argued that military pressure could weaken Tehran but that lasting political change must come from the Iranian people and their organized Resistance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amb. Sands said decades of hostage-taking, support for terrorism, nuclear ambitions, and regional destabilization had made Iran a persistent national-security challenge, while arguing that managing the crisis through military action alone would not produce a durable solution. She highlighted the role of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) and<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/english.mojahedin.org\/pmoi-resistance-units\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> its Resistance Units<\/a>,<\/strong> describing the movement\u2019s survival and organization despite decades of repression as evidence of its capacity to confront the ruling system.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also emphasized the role of women in the Iranian Resistance, pointing to the succession of women serving as MEK secretaries general and praising Maryam Rajavi\u2019s leadership. Amb. Sands presented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/viewpoints\/plan-for-future-of-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mrs. Rajavi\u2019s Ten-Point Plan<\/a> \u2014 including free elections, separation of religion and state, gender equality, minority rights, and a non-nuclear Iran \u2014 as a framework for a democratic transition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She concluded that democratic governments should recognize the Iranian people\u2019s right to determine their own future and support an Iranian-led alternative to both clerical rule and monarchy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The full text of Amb. Carla Sands&#8217; speech follows. This transcript has been edited for publication and clarity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Honored to speak to thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NCRIUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NCRIUS<\/a> supporters outside the UN!  I said: Iran\u2019s seat at the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UN<\/a> belongs to its people, not its rulers. Iranians reject both the Shah and the mullahs. I stand with the Resistance Units within Iran and Maryam Rajavi\u2019s Ten-Point Plan for a free\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Cmgzi2D1GK\">https:\/\/t.co\/Cmgzi2D1GK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Carla Sands (@CarlaHSands) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CarlaHSands\/status\/2104193068261847285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Good morning!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\u2019m thrilled to stand in front of the United Nations and speak before thousands of you who have come from all across the United States to tell the world that Iran\u2019s seat at the United Nations belongs to the people of Iran, and not their repressive rulers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We are gathered here today to stand with the proud nation of Iran, which has for decades strived for its freedom and democracy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We stand with the Iranians whose struggle for freedom is inseparable from peace and tranquility around the world and, as such, serves American national security.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For decades, the Iranian regime has threatened citizens around the world. They\u2019ve taken foreign nationals hostage and used them as bargaining chips.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It has financed terrorism, pursued nuclear weapons, exported instability, and fueled war and conflict throughout the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The nations around the world and the American people deserve a policy that ends this threat, not one that merely manages it from crisis to crisis.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Trump has made it clear that the Iranian regime must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon or threaten the United States and its allies without paying a price.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The past few months have shown that military action certainly weakens the regime, but only the indigenous force on the ground can deliver lasting change and peace.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lasting solution lies in supporting the Iranian people and their organized Resistance in bringing about change from within Iran.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ambassador <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CarlaHSands?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CarlaHSands<\/a>: Stand before the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UN<\/a> to tell the world that Iran&#39;s seat belongs to the people, not their repressive rulers. We stand with Iranians who reject both the dictatorship of the Shah and the religious dictatorship of the Mullahs. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/NCRIAlternative?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NCRIAlternative<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/iran_policy\/status\/2102412818880385381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And that\u2019s why we stand with the people of Iran who reject both the dictatorship of the Shah and the religious dictatorship of the mullahs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We stand with the courageous Resistance Units confronting repression inside Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And we stand with the political prisoners who continue to resist despite torture, solitary confinement, and the threat of execution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These political prisoners, over the past few weeks, have courageously sent messages from prisons defending their desire to support the main Iranian opposition movement on its 60th anniversary of fighting first the Shah\u2019s dictatorship and then the ruthless mullahs ruling Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We honor the memory of all who sacrificed their lives for Iran\u2019s freedom, and we stand with the families of the regime\u2019s victims.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In honoring their sacrifice, we must also recognize the central role of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the MEK.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You are Iran\u2019s leading opposition movement, and you\u2019ve carried forward an unbroken struggle against dictatorship for 60 years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The MEK\u2019s members have endured imprisonment, executions, massacres, terrorist attacks, and a relentless campaign of demonization.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And yet the MEK has survived, expanded, and continued its struggle because it is rooted in a profound commitment to freedom.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udea8 HIGHLIGHTS | Thousands Rally in New York for a Democratic Iran<\/p>\n<p>Highlights from today\u2019s major Iranian-American rally outside the UN, featuring speeches by Gen. Wesley Clark, Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg and Amb. Carla Sands, who voiced support for the NCRI and Mrs. Maryam Rajavi\u2019s\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HSLus6uHNt\">pic.twitter.com\/HSLus6uHNt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/en_simayazadi\/status\/2102485945517760808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And it has built an organized movement capable of confronting the regime \u2014 and you have.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On September 6, the organization entered its 60th year of struggle, and its members elected Ms. Mahnaz Meimanat as the new Secretary General of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I can only imagine how deeply that news must have angered the mullahs ruling Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But for the women of Iran, it offered one more reason for hope, pride, and renewed confidence in their own strength.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her election is another powerful demonstration of the continuity, resilience, and organization of the Iranian Resistance and, importantly, the central role that women have played.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since 1989, the MEK has been led by 10 successive women serving as Secretary General.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Think of that: 10 successive female Secretaries General over more than three decades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The record is extraordinary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in a country where the ruling theocracy has systematically sought to restrict women\u2019s rights and their opportunities, the contrast could hardly be more striking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But this election has a clear message: while the mullahs are the most barbaric and misogynistic entity in the history of the world, the force that is fighting them is led by fierce female leaders.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And this by itself is enough to demonstrate that the clerical regime is doomed to be brought down by a committed Resistance.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Former Ambassador Carla Sands&#39; full speech from this mo0nth&#39;s Free Iran Rally.<\/p>\n<p>Watch Here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lNunQJLWbN\">https:\/\/t.co\/lNunQJLWbN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OrgIAC\/status\/2058899137576275986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is a movement the mullahs have failed to destroy, silence, or push aside.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it also demonstrates the irreplaceable and historic role of Mrs. Rajavi in making this happen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She is not only a political leader with superb capabilities; she is not only a leader with a vision for her nation and her generation, but she is an inspirational leader with the ability and commitment to shatter historic obstacles and resonate beyond her nation, her gender, her generation, her culture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The people of Iran are not asking foreign armies to fight on their behalf.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">They\u2019re asking the democratic world to recognize their right to fight tyranny and determine their own future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vision of that future is embodied in Mrs. Maryam Rajavi\u2019s Ten-Point Plan:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A democratic and secular republic based on free elections, the separation of religion and state, equality between women and men, respect for ethnic and religious minorities, the abolition of Sharia law, and a non-nuclear Iran at peace with the world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And this is not merely a vision for a free Iran. It is the practical answer to one of America\u2019s most enduring national-security challenges.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A free, democratic, and non-nuclear Iran would not only end over a century of monarchical and theocratic dictatorships, but it would no longer finance terrorism, threaten its neighbors, take Americans hostage, or destabilize the region.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Such an Iran would become a partner for peace instead of a source of war.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The choice before the international community is clear: stand with the executioners or those facing the gallows; stand with a failed dictatorship or with an organized democratic Resistance; stand with the past or with the future.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Amb. Carla Sands: The world has tried appeasement and war with Iran\u2014and both failed.<\/p>\n<p>She backs <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Maryam_Rajavi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Maryam_Rajavi<\/a>\u2019s \u201cthird option\u201d: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/democratic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#democratic<\/a> change led by the Iranian people and organized resistance. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QVs8rF0LW7\">pic.twitter.com\/QVs8rF0LW7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/iran_policy\/status\/2052808165398294710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Today, we stand with the people of Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We stand with the Resistance Units.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We stand with the MEK and its 60-year struggle for freedom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We stand with Maryam Rajavi and her democratic Ten-Point Plan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And we look forward to the day when the people of Iran establish a free republic, and when the United States and a free Iran can finally stand together as partners in peace, security, and friendship.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thank you very much, and God bless Iran!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On September 22, 2026, addressing thousands of Iranians and NCRI supporters outside the United Nations in New York, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands argued that military pressure could weaken Tehran but that lasting political change must come from the Iranian people and their organized Resistance. Amb. Sands said decades of hostage-taking, support for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":348383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[222],"class_list":["post-348409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-iran-resistance","tag-iranian-resistance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Amb. 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Carla Sands addresses a rally in New York on September 22, 2026, to protest the presence of the Iranian regime\u2019s delegation at the UN General Assembly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/amb-carla-sands-lasting-change-in-iran-must-come-from-iranian-people-and-organized-resistance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-29T08:55:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/amb-carla-sands-new-york-rally-22092026.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shamsi Saadati\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shamsi Saadati\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/amb-carla-sands-lasting-change-in-iran-must-come-from-iranian-people-and-organized-resistance\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/amb-carla-sands-lasting-change-in-iran-must-come-from-iranian-people-and-organized-resistance\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shamsi Saadati\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/410cc710e9b11fe1e0140afae956d6e6\"},\"headline\":\"Amb. 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