On May 16, 2026, the streets of Washington, D.C., outside the U.S. Capitol, became a historic battleground of ideas and solidarity. Thousands participated in a rally and march, sending an unequivocal message from the steps of Congress straight to the chambers of oppression in Tehran. This was not merely a political demonstration; it was a profound human testament to resilience, drawing cross-partisan support, including former US Ambassador Carla Sands, General Wesley Clark, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
It also brought together the voices of the Iranian youths from across the U.S., who were joined by various ethnic nationalities, i.e., the Kurds, the Baluchis, the Lurs, the Azeris, the Arabs, and many more, as well as religious minorities.
Crucially, both the speakers and the thousands of demonstrators unified under a singular, uncompromising banner: “No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs.” They effectively drew a line in the sand, rejecting both the current religious tyranny and the deposed monarchy—a fascist entity detached from democratic values.
The event underscored that a viable, organized, and deeply rooted alternative exists. Guided by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, this movement outlines a clear roadmap for a Provisional Government to ensure a peaceful transition to a secular, democratic republic within six months of the regime’s collapse.
Below is the address delivered to the rally by NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, outlining the current impasse of the clerical regime and the unstoppable march toward a free Iran.
A full report of the rally is available here.
Lasting Peace is Attainable Only Through the Overthrow of the Velayat-e Faqih Dictatorship
By Maryam Rajavi
Address to the Iranian-American Rally in Washington, D.C. — May 16, 2026
Dear compatriots, distinguished guests, and dear friends,
I extend my warmest greetings to you all.
Your rally and march today convey a powerful and resonant message, both to the people of Iran and to the international community. To the Iranian people, you declare: “We stand in unwavering support of your resistance against religious fascism, and we champion your continued struggle and uprising until the overthrow of this malevolent regime.” And to the world, you proclaim: “Stand with the people of Iran and their democratic alternative, the National Council of Resistance—the sole entity that holds the key to the Iranian question.”
The Impasse of the Clerical Regime
Today, the mullahs find themselves ensnared in a fatal impasse. They can neither return to the status quo preceding the uprisings and the massacres of January 2026, nor do they possess a path forward. Consequently, they have intensified their war against the Iranian people. Through widespread arrests, prolonged internet blackouts, arbitrary street searches, and, most notably, a “strategy of the noose,” they have exploited these wartime conditions as a pretext for a bloody purge of the prisons.
They have sent eight members of the People’s Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) and seventeen rebellious protesters to the gallows. Yet, they are failing to obstruct the impending uprising; they cannot sustain this moribund regime. They remain in a state of terror following the assault by 250 MEK freedom fighters on Khamenei’s headquarters just five days prior to the forty-day war. They are acutely aware that this offensive has galvanized a new generation toward resistance and battle, propelling them toward the Army of Liberation.
Despite the prevailing wartime conditions and the climate of intense repression, the operations of the Resistance Units continue unabated every single day. By executing members of the PMOI/MEK and the rebellious protesters, the regime seeks to thwart this rising generation. However, they have gravely miscalculated. The heroic Mojahed, Vahid BaniAmerian, addressed the regime’s Supreme Leader from his cell with these words:
“Rest assured, if you execute me and those like me, we shall only multiply. Even if you conceal our remains, be certain that your regime will find no escape from its inevitable overthrow.”
Salute to this heroic Mojahed!
The Only Path to Freedom
These slain MEK members and rebellious protesters are the vanguard of the path to victory. Their sacrifice breathes life into a nation. Their political vision, which unequivocally rejects both the Shah and the Mullahs, closes the door on any attempt to hijack the uprising and the revolution. Their militant actions, which target the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), illuminate the path for those who thirst for liberty. This is the singular path to freedom, as Massoud Rajavi proclaimed: “The Army of Liberation is the only way to freedom.”
On the eve of their execution, the anthem of a six-member MEK unit resonated from the heart of their slaughterhouse in Ghezel Hesar prison, reaching the ears of the world. They sang:
“I am the storm; tremble, you fragile willow!
For your adversary is a seasoned warrior.
I am faith, I am rebellion, imbued with conviction—
I fight, I endure, and I emerge ever stronger.”
This anthem is the resonant voice of the Iranian people, declaring that—despite the slaughter of thousands of youths during the January uprising and the grim tragedy of the blood-filled body bags—they have not succumbed to despair. They have not faltered; they have not abandoned the field. On the contrary, they have risen.
This unit, through its steadfast defiance, represents the echelons of the Liberation Army, poised for battle and uprising within the cities of Iran. Time and again, these individuals thwarted the conspiracies of the judiciary’s executioners, who sought to coerce them into remorse or retreat.
Indeed, from what source does such fortitude and resilience spring? They are the manifestation of a steadfast and organized force on the ground. They exemplify combatants who have dedicated their entire existence, their every energy, and their deepest affections to the struggle for their people’s freedom. It is for this reason that they remain invincible. It is for this reason that the mullahs tremble before such a seasoned and formidable adversary.
Rejecting Both Religious and Monarchical Dictatorhips
Fellow compatriots,
The struggle of the Iranian people against religious tyranny is being targeted by betrayal and daggers from two sides. On one side are those who, for years, have sought the path of appeasement to preserve the regime. On the other side are the remnants of the Shah’s dictatorship, who have provided the greatest assistance to this very regime.
Look at the January uprisings: while Khamenei was plunging them into a vortex of blood, the remnants of the monarchical dictatorship dealt the movement its most significant political blow. A rootless and unsupported clique, which overtly pledges to suppress oppressed ethnic nationalities, labels the legitimate aspirations of our Kurdish, Baluchi, Turkmen, and Arab compatriots as “separatism.” They have even proclaimed their agenda to be the imposition of unrestrained autocracy and the establishment of martial law across the cities of Iran.
As members of the British House of Commons have aptly put it, they are “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Their ambition is to resurrect the Shah’s dreaded SAVAK—the very foundation upon which Khomeini established his own notorious Ministry of Intelligence.
But let it be known: anyone who believes they can forge a crown for themselves from the crimes of the mullahs is gravely mistaken. Iran will neither remain under the yoke of religious dictatorship, nor will it ever revert to a monarchical autocracy. The path for Iran is the path of freedom; it is the path of the future. The path of Iran is the path of a Democratic Revolution.
A Manifesto for Regional Peace and Democratic Sovereignty
Friends of the Resistance,
We do not wait for this regime to collapse spontaneously, nor do we expect external actors to change it. Such expectations are entirely illusory. A great transformation in Iran and the overthrow of the regime are, of course, inevitable—but they will be realized through the will of the Iranian people, their uprisings, and the National Liberation Army.
In the conflict that has now engulfed most of the region, a lasting peace remains unattainable without the overthrow of the warmongering, terrorist dictatorship of the Velayat-e Faqih. To fulfill this historic mission, the Iranian Resistance, as it has always declared, calls for the solidarity of all political forces who seek the overthrow of this regime in its entirety and advocate the establishment of a democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state.
We call upon the international community to:
- Stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and recognize their legitimate struggle for the overthrow of this regime.
- Expel the regime’s operatives and agents from international territories.
- Provide the necessary technical resources to ensure the Iranian people’s access to an unrestricted internet.
- Prosecute the regime’s leaders for crimes against humanity and genocide.
We emphasize that the cessation of executions, which is the demand of the entire Iranian nation, must be a mandatory prerequisite in any international agreement.
Our people are marching toward a future defined by the ballot box—a future of pluralism, autonomy for our diverse ethnic nationalities, the equal participation of women in societal leadership, and the absolute separation of religion and state. We have risen to reclaim the sovereignty of the people. We have risen for the dignity and freedom of our nation. And today, after 120 years of suffering and sacrifice, this struggle is closer than ever to its ultimate victory.
Salute to the people of Iran!
Salute to the Resistance Units!
Salute to Freedom!
Salute to the Army of Liberation!