What Is Iran’s Main Issue?

The war that erupted in the early hours of Friday, June 13 marks the beginning of a critical new phase in both Iran’s internal crisis and regional developments. But we must not forget that the true conflict is not between Israel and the religious dictatorship in power in Iran. It is a long-standing battle between the Iranian people and their organized Resistance against a theocratic regime—a struggle that began in 1981. The only lasting solution is the overthrow of this regime by the Iranian people and their Resistance.

The World Is Not Bound to Choose Between Appeasement and War

Twenty-one years ago, Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance, stated in a speech at the European Parliament: “The policy of appeasement encourages the clerical regime to pursue its course and will ultimately impose war on Western countries. Let us not allow the Munich experience to be repeated—with clerics armed with nuclear bombs.”

Today, we see that appeasement toward Tehran has indeed led to war being imposed on the region and beyond. The Iranian regime, rooted in medieval religious dogma, is fundamentally incapable of addressing the needs of a 21st-century society. Since its inception, it has maintained power through brutal repression at home while exporting war and terrorism abroad. These two pillars—domestic repression and external aggression—form the foundation of the regime’s survival.

Even in wartime, the regime clings to its nuclear ambitions because the collapse of one pillar would trigger the collapse of the whole system. The regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei sees any retreat as a shortcut to his downfall. He will not go quietly—but instead plunges the defenseless population into war, fear and insecurity to protect a regime that is already teetering.

Appeasement Has Fueled War

The Iranian Resistance was the first to expose the regime’s clandestine nuclear sites in 2002, alerting the world to a danger that would have otherwise remained hidden. Without this exposure, the regime could have secretly developed nuclear bombs and posed a much greater threat to global security.

Since then, the Resistance has consistently championed the “Third Option”: neither appeasement nor military intervention, but regime change through the Iranian people and their organized movement. Sadly, instead of confronting the regime and its Revolutionary Guards, the West chose to blacklist the Resistance itself—a bitter irony of modern history. It is precisely this appeasement that has allowed the regime to survive.

Thanks to the persistent efforts of the Resistance, the European Union delisted the NCRI in 2009, followed by the United States in 2012. These decisions speak volumes about the legitimacy of the Resistance, its grassroots support, and its status as the regime’s principal adversary.

Recognizing the Fight Against Religious Fascism

The Iranian Resistance does not ask for money or weapons. It seeks only moral support for the courageous efforts of thousands of Resistance Units across the country—just as the European Resistance to Nazi fascism was once recognized. If this struggle is legitimized, there is no need for missiles or airstrikes, because these units embody the Iranian people’s will to overthrow the regime and end a century of tyranny.

Over the past year alone, Resistance units have carried out 3,000 operations against the regime’s machinery of repression.

Who Is the Real Alternative to Religious Fascism?

The alternative to Iran’s theocracy cannot be imposed through external intervention, as happened a century ago when Britain installed a monarch, or in 1953 when the United States orchestrated a coup against Prime Minister Mossadegh. Such actions, enforced through repression and execution, laid the groundwork for the clerics’ rise to power. Had a democratic national government endured, Iran’s path—and the fate of the region—would be drastically different today.

The Iranian people reject all forms of dictatorship. They want freedom.

The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the backbone of the NCRI, has fought both the Shah’s monarchy and the mullahs’ theocracy for over 60 years—without pause. The execution squads, torture chambers, and prisons have never rested. But neither has the Resistance. This is why the NCRI’s motto is: “No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs.” The Iranian people reject all forms of dictatorship. They want freedom.

The Core Conflict in Iran

Although Iran’s nuclear program often dominates headlines, the country’s crisis runs much deeper. At its core, the conflict is between the people—and their Resistance—and a tyrannical theocracy.

Last year, the UN Special Rapporteur labeled the 1981 and 1988 massacres of political prisoners as crimes against humanity and genocide. Since August 2024, over 1,350 executions have been carried out under President Pezeshkian. Iran has the highest execution rate per capita in the world—a brutal response to the Resistance’s strength.

Protests by workers, teachers, nurses, retirees, and civil servants erupt daily across the country. Yet many Western governments and media outlets remain silent about the reality on the ground.

Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan—endorsed by over 4,000 parliamentarians across the U.S. and Europe—calls for a secular, democratic, nuclear-free Iran without executions. These principles have long been enshrined in the NCRI’s platform and reflect its unwavering vision for a pluralistic republic that promotes peace in the Middle East.

According to the NCRI’s plan, a freely elected National Constituent Assembly will be formed within six months of the regime’s fall. This Assembly will draft a new constitution for a democratic republic. Upon its formation, the NCRI and its transitional government will step aside.

Hamid Enayat is a political scientist, specializing on the topic of Iran, who collaborates with the Iranian democratic opposition (NCRI).