Mike Pence and Iran’s Democratic alternative

Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Mike Pence, former Vice President of the United States, traveled to Albania about three years ago to meet with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) — the central force of the Iranian Resistance. In that meeting, held before the recent wars and bloodshed in the region, he declared:

“One of the greatest lies the Iranian regime has fed the world is that there is no alternative in Iran. But there is an alternative — an organized and fully prepared one.”
He further added: “The regime in Tehran wants to deceive the world into believing that protesters in Iran seek a return to the Shah’s dictatorship. But I assure you, we will not be fooled by these lies.”

Had the democratic alternative been officially recognized at that time, the world could have been spared this religious dictatorship much sooner, and the bloody wars in the Middle East — with tens of thousands of victims — might have been avoided. Last Saturday, Pence once again joined Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance, at the major Iranian rally held on September 6 in Brussels to show support for the Iranian people’s determination to bring about change.

The Only Solution to Iran’s Crisis: The Third Way

The solution to Iran’s crisis lies in the complete overthrow of the religious dictatorship. It seems that the international community is gradually reaching a consensus on this point. The Iranian people are more prepared than ever, and society is in an explosive state.

The solution is neither war nor appeasement, but regime change by the people of Iran and their organized Resistance. This is the true guarantee of peace in the region. To achieve it, the right of thousands of resistance units across Iran to confront the IRGC must be recognized. There is no doubt that lasting peace in the region depends on such decisiveness. Every additional day granted to this regime only means more war and bloodshed. The regime’s calls for negotiation are nothing more than attempts to buy time.

The Streets: No Longer Under the Regime’s Control

One of the clearest signs of the regime’s decline is its loss of control over the streets. Until 2017, the Islamic Republic still had the ability to mobilize its supporters. But after successive uprisings — from December 2017 to November 2019, and later in 2022 — the streets gradually slipped from the regime’s grip. Today, women and girls appear in public with voluntary attire. This is not a sign of tolerance by the regime but proof of its inability to suppress them. Defections within the repressive forces are also widespread, leaving the regime increasingly stripped of its primary tool of control.

The Cancelled Concert

On Friday, September 5, just one day before the major Iranian rally in Brussels, a large concert was scheduled to be held in Tehran. The decision to stage this event had been made by the Supreme National Security Council — the regime’s highest decision-making body. Its main purpose appeared to be countering the impact of the opposition’s demonstration in Brussels. The performance was assigned to a well-known singer whose father holds a prominent place in modern Iranian music.

The decision at such a high level reflected the regime’s need for shows designed to present the slogans and aspirations claimed by the Supreme Leader as if they were being fulfilled. On August 24, Ali Khamenei had declared: “This sacred unity of the people with the Islamic Republic — this steel shield — must not be harmed. Today, thank God, unity exists.”
Consistently accusing opponents of sowing division, Khamenei hoped this concert would project an image of national unity and silence dissent within the establishment. But history shows that in the final days of their rule, all dictators resort to such displays in an effort to appear nationalistic and unifying.

The concert was to be held in Tehran’s iconic Azadi Square. But according to Peyman Soltani, conductor of the Tehran Nations Orchestra, “public opposition forced the cancellation of this program,” because people saw it as aligning with the regime. Its cancellation revealed that in Iran’s political arena, there is a force capable of challenging the regime and disrupting its calculations.

Defeat in Cyberspace

In the realm of the internet and social networks, despite heavy filtering, the regime has failed to prevent young Iranians from connecting with the free world. Although access has become more difficult, the government has never managed to impose absolute control over cyberspace. In other words, the Islamic Republic has been forced to retreat not only in the streets but also in the digital world.

A Shared Sense of Collapse

The sense of the regime’s downfall is no longer confined to its opponents; even within the system, this perception is clearly visible. In the minds of the people, the regime has already collapsed — only its physical fall remains.

Pence’s Closing Remarks

In his address to tens of thousands of Iranians and human rights activists in Brussels, Mike Pence stressed that the time for change had come:
“The time for a free Iran has arrived.”

He added: “There is no weapon stronger than the will of a people determined to achieve their aspirations. That will is now embodied in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and it will prevail.”

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