As the historical ceasefire initiated by former President Donald Trump took effect, uncertainty remained over Iran’s future and the push for regime change. Iranian opposition groups were engaged in verbal battles to persuade Iranians that they were the most suitable to lead the transition from the mullahs. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), explained the group’s platform for achieving regime change, including separation of religion and state, gender equality, and a democratic alternative to the current regime.
Rajavi leads the NCRI, which is affiliated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK)—a group once listed as a terrorist organization in the United States but removed from that list in 2012. The MEK is credited with first exposing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. In the interview, Rajavi emphasized that regime change in Iran is not merely a possibility but an inevitable and historical imperative. She highlighted the discontented society and organized resistance against the regime, which has lost all legitimacy due to structural corruption, repression, and economic incompetence.
The Iranian people, according to Rajavi, have demonstrated unwavering resolve against the current regime through waves of popular uprisings. She presented a Ten-Point Plan, which includes universal principles of human rights and a roadmap for a free and just Iran. The plan envisions a democratic republic with separation of religion and state, complete gender equality, respect for minorities, and the abolition of the death penalty. The NCRI’s position is clear: a government derived from the consent of the governed, fighting for fundamental human rights against religious tyranny.
Rajavi also addressed the regime’s efforts to demonize the resistance, including financial investments in disinformation campaigns and the targeting of resistance members. She pointed out the regime’s fear of the resistance’s influence, citing the repeated use of