Maryam Rajavi, 71, the leader of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), a group that seeks to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Sunday announced: “Now Khamenei must go,” adding, “The Iranian people welcome the end of the war and seek peace and freedom.”
“Khamenei is responsible for an unpatriotic project that, in addition to costing countless lives, has cost the Iranian people at least two trillion dollars—and now, it has all gone up in smoke,” Rajavi said. She repeated what has come to be known inside her movement as the Third Option: “No to appeasement, no to war—yes to regime change, as in changing the religious dictatorship by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance into a free Iran and a democratic, non-nuclear republic with separation of religion and state and gender equality.”
Rajavi, who also serves as the president-elect of the umbrella organization, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is married to Massoud Rajavi, her co-leader, at the helm of the MEK.
Maryam Rajavi has outlined a 10-point manifesto aimed at transforming Iran into a secular, democratic state. The plan emphasizes a firm commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and similar international principles. Among its key proposals are the abolition of the death penalty, the establishment of a modern legal system, and the assurance of judicial independence.
Rajavi also pledges to end Tehran’s support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, advocating instead for peaceful coexistence, diplomatic relations with all countries, and adherence to the United Nations Charter. The manifesto affirms support for private property, private investment, and a market-based economy.
In June 2020, a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives—backed by 221 lawmakers, expressed support for the NCRI and Rajavi’s 10-point plan, which includes a non-nuclear Iran, universal suffrage, and a free-market economy, while also condemning Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism and urging action against the regime’s malign activities through its diplomatic missions.
