While Iran is in one of its most tumultuous times, the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) held a bipartisan congressional briefing on March 26, 2026, focusing on a democratic transition in Iran and the announcement of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) provisional government. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle gathered to express support for the Iranian people’s right to self-determination, emphasizing that the future of Iran must be decided by its citizens.

The conference took place against the backdrop of an important juncture in Iran. Between December 2025 and January 2026, a massive round of nationwide uprisings spread to hundreds of cities, bringing the ruling establishment to its knees. The regime maintained its grip on power solely through the massacre of thousands of unarmed protesters. Weeks later, the geopolitical landscape shifted dramatically. On February 28, 2026, United States and Israeli airstrikes targeted regime assets, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and multiple senior officials. By March 9, the regime installed Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, signaling a continuation of its absolute clerical rule.

Maryam Rajavi’s Vision for a Democratic Transition

In her keynote address to the briefing, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi outlined a clear vision for Iran’s democratic transition in the wake of recent upheavals. Speaking to the January uprising and the shifting geopolitics of the Middle East, Mrs. Rajavi dismantled long-held Western assumptions about the regime’s stability. She emphasized that the elevation of Khamenei’s son demonstrates the regime’s intent to maintain its destructive path of nuclear proliferation, ballistic missile development, and proxy warfare. Mrs. Rajavi noted that the regime’s survival relies on extreme brutality, referencing the thousands of unarmed protesters massacred in January.

Rejecting both monarchical dictatorship and religious tyranny, Mrs. Rajavi presented the NCRI as a viable, democratic alternative with deep historical backing. She summarized the movement’s core message, stating, “The slogan of the Iranian Resistance and the provisional government is peace and freedom.”

Mrs. Rajavi argued that internal change relies on the Iranian people and their Resistance Units, who recently targeted Khamenei’s headquarters. She explicitly warned Western policymakers against continued leniency, emphasizing, “A policy of appeasement........

© Eurasia Review