American liberals often claim to “resist” the labeling of a democratically elected president as “authoritarian.” In contrast, genuine resistance efforts are underway in Iran against a real dictatorship.
For affluent white liberals, “resistance” seems to entail bumper stickers, hashtags, chants, and secure protest marches. No American has faced arrest for opposing President Trump or his policies, and law enforcement did not intervene against the thousands of demonstrators. The government hasn’t shut down the internet, nor would any American risk execution for advocating for change.
Partisan commentators are promoting the misleading idea that Americans face a choice between deploying troops or taking no action. Those who’ve genuinely listened to Iranian dissidents understand the reality of the situation.
Iranian activists encounter a far harsher reality. Their fight comes with severe costs: lives are lost, freedoms are curtailed, and blood is shed.
Just last weekend, I witnessed this resistance firsthand. Over a thousand Iranian dissidents gathered in Washington, D.C., to strategize for a future devoid of the mullahs’ rule. Panels featuring academics, women, young activists, and voices from within Iran illustrated the instability plaguing the regime.
As the regime desperately clings to power, it resorts to increased censorship, torture, and public executions to instill fear among Iranians.
This crackdown occurs against the backdrop of a failing economy, with over 80% of Iranians living in poverty. The ongoing inflation takes a toll across the nation, while unemployment rates continue to rise.
The harsher the repression, the more likely Iranians are to realize that the only solution is a change in governance.
In 2018, 2019, and 2022, Iranians took to the streets in large numbers. Thousands of lives were lost, and tens of thousands were imprisoned. As we approach 2025, the question is not if another revolt will occur, but when it will happen.
Western nations now face their own dilemma: will we be prepared to support the Iranian people when they need it most?
Here in the U.S., partisan voices perpetuate the erroneous notion that Americans must decide between military intervention and inaction. Those who have listened to Iranian voices know there are alternatives.
One potential option is Mariam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition that opposes both the Shah’s regime and the current theocracy.
Rajavi, elected by the NCRI as the president for the transitional period following the Ayatollah’s removal, has made the stance clear:
This is neither appeasement nor war, but regime change by the Iranian populace through their organized, legal, and fair resistance. We are not seeking money or weapons. All we ask is that you recognize this resistance.
This resistance is very much alive in Iran. The Iranian People’s Mojahedin Organization has become the largest and best-organized opposition movement in the country, operating throughout all 31 provinces. They have conducted thousands of actions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Basij, the regime’s primary enforcement entities.
These groups organize protests, strikes, and campaigns against the regime. Their intelligence networks have revealed Tehran’s clandestine nuclear initiatives and uncovered terror plots funded by the regime.
The price paid has been immense. Since 1981, more than 100,000 members of PMOI/MEK have been killed. Many others have suffered imprisonment, torture, or been victims of state-sponsored smear campaigns.
The idea of negotiating with Iran’s government is pure fantasy. There is no genuine difference between the so-called hardliners and moderates. Both factions have contributed to economic devastation domestically and terrorism abroad. Iranian youth see the reality clearly.
During the Free Iran Conference, Sheena Saidian, an Iranian-American law student from the University of Virginia, articulated the dire circumstances:
The situation for the youth in Iran is grim. Hyperinflation, rampant unemployment, censorship, and oppression prevail. Young Iranians see no prospects for moderating or reforming the existing regime. Things only continue to deteriorate. The core issue affecting youth is the current regime.
Iran’s dictatorship will eventually fall. History assures us of this. The pressing question is whether the U.S. will mitigate the suffering of the Iranian people or prolong the Islamist regime’s reign.
If we aspire for a secular and democratic Iran that fosters peace in the region, we need to assert that negotiation cannot rescue the current regime. Reform is not achievable through any agreement, and no diplomatic illusions can tame it.
We must inform the Iranian people, along with the courageous resistance groups within the nation, that the U.S. is ready to recognize their efforts and their right to forge a future for a free Iran.
The United States doesn’t need to send money, weapons, or troops. The Iranian government is on the brink of collapse, and Iranians are starting to unite. What they truly need now is moral clarity from the West, not silence, appeasement, or excuses.
The American ethos has always been about championing freedom against tyranny. Supporting the Iranian people aligns with the moral principles that this nation was built upon.
