Activists highlight PMOI’s legacy, expose regime failures, and champion democratic “Third Option”

Despite an intense security presence and ongoing repression, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) Resistance Units staged a bold campaign in Zahedan, Baluchistan province. Activists took to the streets holding placards with anti-regime messages, reaffirming their determination to overthrow the ruling theocracy and establish a democratic republic.

Their actions underscored the existence of a popular, organized movement that rejects both the current clerical dictatorship and the deposed monarchy. The Resistance Units declared clearly that the Iranian people refuse to exchange one tyranny for another. Placards read: “Down with the oppressor, be it the shah or the mullahs” and “A dictatorship is a dictatorship — whether with a turban or a crown.”

Exposing the Regime’s Broken Promises

The campaign also targeted the hollow promises of regime president Masoud Pezeshkian. For decades, the Baluch population has suffered systematic discrimination and denial of basic rights. One sign directly asked: “What happened to Pezeshkian’s promises to the Baluch people?” The message highlighted that, regardless of which faction holds office, the regime remains incapable and unwilling to meet the fundamental demands of the Iranian people.

Reclaiming the PMOI’s “Crimes”

Resistance activists further turned the regime’s demonization campaign against the PMOI on its head. They proudly listed the organization’s so-called “crimes,” which in reality reflect a 60-year record of patriotism and sacrifice.

Among them was the PMOI’s exposure of Khomeini’s war slogan “Conquer Jerusalem through Karbala” during the Iran-Iraq war. The placards recalled that the PMOI’s “crime” was advocating peace while the regime prolonged the war to suppress dissent at home.

Other charges included uncovering the regime’s clandestine nuclear weapons program and rejecting the constitution that enshrined absolute clerical rule. Since 1979, the PMOI has consistently called for the separation of religion and state, a principle central to the movement’s vision of a democratic Iran.

Advancing the “Third Option”

The Zahedan campaign embodied the Iranian Resistance’s “Third Option” — a strategy that rejects both appeasement of the regime and foreign military intervention. Placards stressed that Iran’s explosive social conditions demand change from within. One sign declared: “The only solution is the third option — neither appeasement nor war.” Another read: “The great change will come by the people of Iran and their Resistance movement.”

This vision, articulated by NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi under the guiding slogan “We Can and We Must,” presents a path toward a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic.

A Message of Defiance and Hope

By defying repression in one of Iran’s most oppressed regions, the Resistance Units in Zahedan demonstrated both courage and clarity of purpose. Their campaign not only reaffirmed the PMOI’s historic mission but also amplified the Iranian people’s determination to end all forms of dictatorship and achieve genuine freedom through their own organized struggle.

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