An Interview with Ali Safavi of National Council of Resistance of Iran

In an interview, Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran discusses the prospects for an end to the war, the possibility of a ceasefire, and why he believes the root of the crisis lies within Iran itself. 

Safavi argues that lasting peace and stability will depend on the Iranian people’s ability to replace the current clerical system with a democratic republic based on popular sovereignty, free elections, and the separation of religion and state.

Will the war end soon, as President Trump has said?

Safavi: I cannot speak to what decision the U.S. president may ultimately make regarding the timing of the war or a possible ceasefire. 

However, from the perspective of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the central issue is that the crisis in Iran is fundamentally political and internal.

The root cause of instability in Iran and across the region lies in the system of Velayat-e Faqih, or absolute clerical rule. 

For decades, this system has relied on repression at home and confrontation abroad to preserve its grip on power, a medieval form of tyranny that the overwhelming majority of Iranians despise and have decisively rejected. 

As a result, the real conflict is the ongoing struggle between the Iranian people and the organized resistance on one side, and the ruling establishment on the other.

Why is this the case? 

Because the regime faces a profound crisis of legitimacy inside Iran. Over the past several years, repeated nationwide uprisings and widespread public discontent have clearly demonstrated that the majority of Iranians reject the current system. 

From the standpoint of the Iranian Resistance, the trajectory of events will ultimately be determined by internal dynamics and by the Iranian people’s demand for fundamental change.

If the United States seeks a ceasefire, how would Iran react?

Safavi: Likewise, I cannot speculate about how the regime may respond to any potential U.S. initiative for a ceasefire. 

What can be said is that the Iranian regime has historically used negotiations primarily as a means to buy time, stabilize its position internally, and preserve its grip on power, while continuing to pursue its ominous policies. 

One must also bear in mind that the regime remains deeply concerned about the prospect of another nationwide uprising.

As the NCRI President-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, said today, the motto of the Iranian Resistance and the Provisional Government announced by the NCRI is Peace and Freedom.

The solution to Iran’s crisis is the overthrow of the clerical regime by the people of Iran and their Resistance. 

A democratic republic, based on the Ten-Point Plan, rejects both religious despotism and monarchical fascism. 

The sovereignty of the Iranian people is not the inheritance of any king or cleric.

Popular sovereignty, freedom, and independence are red lines and are inviolable. The Iranian people reject the thieves and usurpers who attempt to seize the sovereignty of the people under any guise or claim. 

Lasting peace and stability will ultimately depend on the Iranian people’s ability to determine their own future and establish a democratic republic based on free elections and the separation of religion and state, as outlined in the democratic platform presented by Mrs. Rajavi.

Only such a transformation can address the underlying causes of the crisis and bring durable stability to Iran and the region.