At a meeting in Parliament today, speakers underscored the urgent need for the UK to adopt a firm and principled policy toward Iran.

With the regime intensifying repression at home, advancing its nuclear ambitions, and threatening regional and European security, cross-party MPs and Peers stressed that a diplomacy-first approach to Tehran has failed, necessitating a decisive shift.

Speakers highlighted that, since August 2024, under President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian regime has executed nearly 800 people, including political prisoners and activists arrested during the 2022 uprising. With many political prisoners on death row and fresh intelligence confirming Tehran’s accelerated push to develop nuclear weapons—along with its growing threat to UK security—the regime’s threats extend far beyond Iran’s borders, they warned. Ignoring them, speakers said, would be a grave mistake.

Speakers stressed that the Iranian people do not seek a return to monarchy, which in Iran is associated with oppression and one-party rule, but are fighting for their freedom and democracy and deserve political recognition and endorsement. They emphasised that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its President-elect, Maryam Rajavi, offer a democratic alternative, with their 10-point plan and structured process for transitioning power to the people, providing a clear roadmap for a free, secular Iran.

Speakers urged the UK government to recognise the NCRI as the legitimate opposition to the Iranian regime and extend diplomatic support. They also called on the UK to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, impose maximum pressure on Iran and reinstate all sanctions.

These steps, they stressed, are essential for a decisive UK policy that delivers on the government’s promise to hold Tehran accountable and stand in solidarity with the Iranian people’s fight for freedom.

In a video message to the meeting, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi said:

“The regime is very vulnerable. Khamenei is extremely terrified of the outbreak of another uprising.

“The overthrow of the regime will take place at the hands of the Iranian people and the organised resistance. The Iranian Resistance’s nationwide network inside Iran, and the Resistance Units, where women play a pioneering role, have a key role. They carry out courageous activities to shatter the wall of repression.

“We are not seeking to seize power … The NCRI has specific plans for the transitional period after the regime’s overthrow.

“NCRI’s task is to hold free and fair elections within six months after the overthrow of the regime for a legislative and constitutional assembly, and transfer sovereignty to the people’s representatives.”

Outlining practical steps for a firm policy, which the meeting endorsed, the Iranian opposition leader concluded:

“The source of Europe’s policy mistakes on Iran, over the past four decades has been their failure to recognise the Iranian people’s desire for change.

“The overthrow of the clerical regime is necessary for peace and security in the Middle East. Therefore, the time has come for European governments to adopt a firm policy against the Iranian regime.”

Baroness O’Loan DBE said:

“The UK has already sanctioned 450 individuals and organisations, including the entirety of the IRGC.

“The UK must stand with the Iranian people by formally recognising Madam Rajavi and the NCRI as the democratic alternative. It must blacklist the IRGC, hold the regime accountable, and amplify the voices of Iran’s Resistance—especially the courageous women leading this fight. Their struggle is not just for themselves—it is for the future of Iran, the region, and global peace.”

Baroness Verma said:

“The Iranian regime must be held accountable. Dialogue with this regime is futile. Tehran has perfected the art of deception.

“The UN Special Rapporteur and the Independent Fact-Finding Mission have documented the regime’s crimes, particularly during the brutal crackdown on protests in 2019 and 2022. They have called for an accountability mechanism based on these findings. The UK, which has supported these UN mandates, should also back and implement their recommendations.”

Rt Hon. Lord Dholakia OBE said:

“A change in our approach to Iran is long overdue. We must act firmly against the Iranian regime because, just like Russia, it poses a direct threat to the UK. Just as Britain stood with Ukraine, we must recognise that the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom is equally our own.”

Baroness Redfern said:

“The bravery of the women of Iran is particularly inspiring. These women have been the backbone of the resistance, organising and leading protests, despite knowing the risks they face, including arrest, torture, and even execution. Their courage, despite the regime’s ruthless repression, serves as a beacon of hope.”

Former MEP and Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change (CiC), Struan Stevenson, said:

“Millions protesting on the streets of Iran’s towns and cities are chanting ‘Down with the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Sheikh’. The Iranian people do not want to replace one dictatorship with another.

“To cling on to power, Khamenei is using violent oppression as the last remaining toll in his toolbox. More than 830 executions, almost five per day, have taken place since Masoud Pezeshkian took office as Iran’s so-called ‘moderate’ president.

“Yet, unbridled brutality has failed to extinguish the spark of revolution. The NCRI, with its ten-point plan for democracy and human rights, stands ready to lead Iran’s future.”

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate said:

“Discussion on the nuclear issue must not divert attention from the appalling human rights situation in Iran. The NCRI and the Iranian people have my support in their efforts to bring about democratic change.”

In a message to the meeting, Jim Shannon MP said:

“I fully support Madam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for this reason, especially because of its commitment to the separation of religion and state, freedom of belief, and equal rights for religious and ethnic minorities. This vision unites the nation around the common goal of a free and democratic republic.”

Co-president of the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran (ICPDI), Bob Blackman CBE MP, said:

“Iran’s regime is at the heart of this challenge, threatening global security while brutally repressing its own people. It is obvious that our current soft-line approach has failed.

“We must adopt a firm policy—one that isolates the regime and empowers the Iranian people and their organised resistance, led by the NCRI and Madam Rajavi.”

Other speakers included: Azadeh Zabeti, from the Anglo-Iranian Lawyers Association; Julie Jones, Director All Party Parliamentary Group on International Law, Freedom of Religion or Belief; Professor Sara Chandler KC (Hon), first female President of the Federation of European Bar Associations 2017; President of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the Law Society of England and Wales (2018-2024); and Robert Ward, Conservative Councillor from Croydon.

Other members of Parliament who attended the meeting were: Dawn Butler MP and Martin Vickers MP.

British Committee for Iran Freedom

27 February 2025