On Wednesday, December 11, a gathering was held in the United States Senate discussing Iran. During this bipartisan gathering, Senate members expressed their support for the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.
In addition to Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), notable speakers included Senators Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Jeanne Shaheen, and Cory Booker.
Mrs. Rajavi stated:
“I have consistently emphasized that our goal is not to seize power but to restore it to its rightful owners, the people of Iran and their vote.
“Our resistance has a practical roadmap for regime change and establishing a free and democratic society. The people, who are deeply discontented and angry, along with the Resistance Units, who are part of the Army of Freedom and the main force for change in Iran. They are preparing an organized uprising.”
Referring to recent developments, including the “fall of Syria’s dictatorship,” Mrs. Rajavi described it as a “strategic blow to the clerical regime” and its primary proxy force, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Several Republican and Democratic senators attended the meeting, emphasizing their support for the Iranian people’s pursuit of freedom and democracy while advocating for intensified actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Senator Ted Cruz underscored that the Iranian people would achieve democracy and free elections. Addressing the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency for Iran’s regime, he remarked that “no one had a worse day on election day than [Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei.”
The U.S. senator added, that if history has taught us anything, it is that dictators understand only the language of power.
Senator Cruz reiterated that with Donald Trump’s administration, the policy of maximum pressure would return. He asserted that Khamenei is trembling with fear because every aspect of this brutal and oppressive regime is being shut down from every angle.
Jeanne Shaheen, a senior Democratic Senator, stated in her speech that the Iranian regime has suffered a significant blow, and developments in Syria reveal its fundamental weaknesses in regional strategy and policies.
She stressed the need to work on shared values such as democracy, human rights, and justice. She said that the Iranian people have paid the price for these values for years and the world needs to find ways to support the Iranian people’s rights to choose their future government.
Thom Tillis, a Republican Senator and member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, shared that he has been following Iran’s situation since 1978. He remarked that the leaders of this regime and the mullahs have destroyed the wealth and heritage of a rich nation, but perhaps one day, the people will celebrate democracy’s triumph in Tehran.
Senator Tillis emphasized that the mullahs’ regime must not be appeased and instead there needs to be an increase in the pressure and create opportunities for a democratic and peaceful Syria and Iran. He asserted that the American people stand with those who desire a free, modern, secure, and proud Iran.
Another speaker at the gathering, Democratic Senator Cory Booker, stated, the suffering of the Iranian people stems from an unjust regime that imposes horrific violence on its citizens, violates human and civil rights, tortures, and abducts people.
He described the Iranian regime as the primary exporter of international terrorism and violence, emphasizing that American ideals align with the aspirations of the Iranian people.
The event also featured speeches from General James Jones, former U.S. National Security Advisor (2010) and former NATO Commander; General Keith Kellogg, National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence (2021); General Tod Wolters, NATO Commander (2019–2022); Ambassador Sam Brownback, U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom (2021) and former Kansas Governor and Senator; Ambassador Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadhrami, Yemen’s Ambassador to the U.S. and former Foreign Minister of Yemen (2020); and Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco.
