Addressing the Free Iran 2026 World Summit in Paris on June 21, former U.S. Ambassador Robert Joseph argued that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is impossible under the current ruling system, calling support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and democratic change essential to long-term regional and global security.
Joseph opened his remarks by criticizing the restrictions imposed by French authorities on the summit’s planned rally. He compared the Iranian opposition’s pursuit of a democratic republic to the principles embodied in France’s 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, while praising the sacrifices made by the Iranian people and the efforts of Resistance Units operating inside the country.
Turning to the nuclear issue, Joseph warned that the risk of Tehran obtaining a nuclear weapon has reached a critical level. He argued that decades of Western diplomacy have failed to curb the regime’s nuclear ambitions, describing continued reliance on negotiations as a flawed strategy. According to Joseph, the Iranian leadership has consistently used diplomatic talks to gain time while advancing its strategic objectives.
He also maintained that traditional containment policies have proven ineffective, arguing that Tehran continues to exploit regional leverage and strategic waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, to pressure the international community while pursuing its broader goals.
Concluding his speech, Joseph said the nuclear challenge cannot be resolved through negotiations alone but requires democratic change in Iran. He called on Western governments to support the organized Iranian Resistance and endorsed Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a framework for establishing a secular, democratic, and non-nuclear republic, describing it as both a moral responsibility and an effective path toward strengthening international security.
Excerpts of Ambassador Robert Joseph‘s speech follow:
Thank you very much.
Mrs. Rajavi, thank you for your vision, thank you for your leadership of a great and historic cause. You are truly inspirational.
Not just for our generation, but for the next generation, and the generation after that—those who will live, for certain, in a free Iran.
I send my very best to all of the brave women and men at Ashraf 3.
My visit there a few years ago always remains in my thoughts. Everyone I spoke to had experienced a personal sacrifice, perhaps imprisonment, torture, or the loss of a family member.
But all looked to the future, to a brighter future for their families and for their fellow countrymen.
And to those on the front line, those in the Resistance Units: I salute you. May God protect you. You will prevail.
I’d like to talk about the nuclear question, but before I do, I’d like to add to the views that have been expressed concerning the French court’s decision to deny our supporters their fundamental rights of free speech and assembly.
The decision betrayed the very principles cited in the court documents, especially in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
This is a brilliant document that has stood the test of time. It was written by Lafayette, a hero of two worlds, who listened to Thomas Jefferson, his American friend.
Both individuals played a prominent role in the fight for our own independence—one with the sword and one with a pen—to create a democratic republic, the same objective that we seek in Iran.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of my country’s founding next month, you can feel the extreme pride of my fellow citizens in our nation that has been a model and an inspiration for much of mankind.
My conclusion is this: today, there is [now a] higher risk than before that the regime will move to a nuclear weapon.
It’s in the DNA of this regime to possess a nuclear weapon. So, what is to be done?
The answer is straightforward: we must support the Iranian people by supporting the organized resistance.
This is our call to action. We must seize the day, we must change the paradigm.
We must work to convince our governments to do the right thing and accept the Ten-Point Plan as the correct vision and the pathway for the future of Iran.
Supporting the Ten-Point Plan is both a moral imperative and the only effective means to achieve our national security goals.
If we fail to meet the nuclear threat, the noble cause of a free Iran will be set back, as nothing unleashes the scourge of appeasement more than a nuclear-armed rogue state.
So, let me end with five “no”s and three “yes”s.
No to a nuclear-armed Iran.
No to theocracy.
No to monarchy.
No to executions and no to appeasement.
Yes to freedom.
Yes to democracy, and yes to the Ten-Point Plan.
Thank you very much.
