Key Takeaways
- Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg warned that Iran’s regime is weaker than in decades and urged opposition forces to act now.
- Maryam Rajavi of the NCRI said only a popular overthrow can yield a peaceful, non‑nuclear Iran and demanded an end to executions of political protesters.
- Kellogg cited the NCRI’s 2002 Natanz/Arak disclosure as a model for verification and called the group the “conscience” that must guard any future deal.
- French authorities banned an outdoor NCRI rally in Paris over security concerns; police dispersed protesters and arrested about 20 people.
- Western figures including Boris Johnson and Dmytro Kuleba and Boris Johnson condemned the ban, linking Iran’s repression to its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg addressed a two‑day conference of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Paris, telling attendees that Tehran’s theocratic leadership is at its weakest point in a generation. He described the current moment as a “window … open wider than at any moment in a generation” and warned that such openings do not stay open forever. Kellogg, who previously served as the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, argued that any disarmament agreement with Iran should be viewed not as an end point but as the first step toward a post‑regime future, insisting that the regime will not relinquish power voluntarily and must be forced out by the Iranian people and their organized resistance.
NCRI president‑elect Maryam Rajavi echoed Kellogg’s call for action, asserting that neither war nor negotiations have neutralized the threat posed by Iran’s rulers. She maintained that a peaceful, non‑nuclear Iran can emerge only through the overthrow of the current regime by the Iranian populace and their organized Resistance. Rajavi also demanded that any international agreement aimed at ending hostilities include concrete provisions to halt the execution of political prisoners and the killing of protesters, framing these human rights protections as non‑negotiable components of a lasting settlement.
Kellogg highlighted the NCRI’s historic role in exposing Iran’s clandestine nuclear program, referencing the group’s 2002 revelation of the Natanz enrichment facility and the Arak heavy‑water reactor. He urged the council to become the “conscience” that guarantees strict verification of any future deal, saying that verification is not an abstract concept for the NCRI but a lived legacy. According to Kellogg, the opposition must ensure that every barrel of enriched uranium leaves Iran, every centrifuge ceases operation, and every pledge made on paper translates into tangible, on‑the‑ground compliance.
French authorities pre‑emptively banned a planned outdoor rally organized by the NCRI, citing intelligence about possible bomb threats and the risk of violence involving rival Iranian opposition factions, including potential actions by regime‑linked actors or monarchist groups. A French court upheld the ban, emphasizing security concerns. Despite the prohibition, demonstrators gathered at the designated site on Saturday; police ordered the crowd to disperse and arrested approximately twenty individuals. NCRI foreign‑affairs member Ali Safavi denounced the decision as an “unjustifiable act of capitulation,” arguing that Paris should have protected the peaceful assembly rather than yielding to intimidation.
The ban drew sharp criticism from prominent Western voices. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson labeled the French decision a “tragic mistake,” insisting that Western capitals must allow Iranian opposition figures to be heard freely. Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba linked the Iranian struggle to Ukraine’s own fight against Russia, noting that Ukrainians had hoped to join the Paris rally and were “appalled” by the ban. Kuleba pointed out that while Russian ballistic missiles target Kyiv, Iranian‑supplied drone technology is also being used against Ukraine, underscoring the interconnected nature of the threats posed by Tehran’s regime.
The NCRI’s principal constituent is the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), which was designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union before being delisted in 2012. The group remains a persistent irritant to the Tehran government and has been the target of alleged Iranian plots in Europe and the United States, most notably a foiled 2018 bomb attempt against an MEK rally outside Paris. The organization’s history of activism and its past disclosure of nuclear sites continue to shape its influence within the Iranian opposition landscape.
Efrat Lachter, a Fox News Digital reporter covering international affairs and the United Nations, authored the piece; she can be followed on X @efratlachter and contacted via [email protected].