Joe Lieberman, Senator from Connecticut (1989 – 2013), addressed at the 2nd Day of The Free Iran World Summit on July 12, 2021.

Thank you, dear friends, Mrs. Rajavi, a great leader, dear friend, greetings to you from not just myself, but my wife Adesa, who is your wonderful admirer, and to our friends in Ashraf 3 with whom we have had such meaningful visits. Thank you all very much, most of all, all support to the heroes of the resistance in Iran, and to our dear friends in the Iranian diaspora who support those heroes of their resistance. I am really honored to be asked to join you again today in the sacred cause of freedom, justice, human rights and economic opportunities for the people of Iran. And I am privileged to lead this particular section of this extraordinary program in which my colleagues and I will present and dissect and analyze solutions to the problems, the crisis in Iran that has been described so well over the last two and a half days.

I will tell you my conclusion first, there is only one solution that is left, that will work. And that is regime change in Iran. Everything else has been tried, it is obvious that the regime itself will not change. So, the people of Iran with the support of all of us outside of Iran must change the regime. Every other alternative that would end the regime’s brutal denial of the rights of its citizens, its support of terrorism and aggression in the region, its development of nuclear weapons, and the missiles to deliver them on close and distant nations and enemies, and its hatred stated over and over again of the United States, its Arab neighbors, Israel, and so much of the rest of the world, the only viable course of action left is resistance and revolution.

And I have never been more optimistic, my friends, that the regime in Iran is running at its core and is ready to fall. Iran’s economy is in a dismal shape and the people of Iran suffer because of the economic sanctions that are directed against their corrupt and violent leaders. These are leaders that spend more of their money on themselves and foreign terrorist groups than they do on the people of Iran.

The people have had enough, and like a giant awakening from a nightmare, they have had the courage now to go to the streets and protest and increasing numbers since November 2019. And in their recent elections, by voting with their feet by refused to go to the polls to participate in the election of a mass murderer, Raisi as the next President of Iran. In August of this year, instead of entering the presidential office in Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi should be led to the docket at the International Court in The Hague and charged with crimes against humanity. That is why I am proud to stand with Prime Minister Jansa of Slovenia, who quite correctly yesterday called for an international inquiry into the conduct of Mr. Raisi. In the elections that were held, the turnout out was by far the lowest since the revolution of 1979. Nationwide, by my calculation, about% 40% of the eligible voters voted, and in Tehran, it was about 20% of the eligible voters.

On the Friday before the elections at prayers in the city of Mashhad, a cleric pleaded with the people to vote, “If you do not vote,” he warned, “you are really voting for the MEK.” Well, by that standard, since most Iranians did not vote, he won the elections. And Mrs. Rajavi should be the next president of Iran.

The regime’s constant references and warnings about the MEK reveal its fear of the MEK and the NCRI. And it’s based on the fact that these organizations expose the regime’s worse behavior. Its secret of nuclear weapons program, its violent terrorist actions. The NCRI/MEK is clearly the most organized resistance, operation and organization in Iran. It’s the most competent and capable, and its leader, Mrs. Rajavi has not just been in pursuit of power, she has been in pursuit of power with a vision and values. Look at the 10-point plan Mrs. Rajavi put forward. it embraces the best of universal values of human rights and democratic government. It is shared by people throughout the world, and particularly by people here in the United States. And do not forget that the NCRI/MEK is committed to enabling the people of Iran to choose their leaders in a free election.

Now, for the sake of argument, what alternatives do regime change? Do others advocate for solving the terrible crisis in Iran? First is negotiations. Negotiations. How can world leaders, including America’s leaders rationally negotiate with a regime that has killed thousands of American citizens and citizens of our allies and citizens, of course, of Iran itself? How can we negotiate with a nation that has constantly proven itself incapable of keeping its democratic diplomatic promises? And how can we now possibly negotiate with a nation that has handpicked its next president, a mass murderer, who has regularly declared his hatred of the United States?

My friends, it is simply nonsense to think that we can negotiate with such a regime. We cannot. Others advocate as an alternative to regime change enabling and strengthening the moderates in Iran. What moderates? Where are the moderates? If they exist, they’re in jail and under house arrest. This moderate option has always been a cruel deception perpetrated by the real rulers of Iran, extremists, theocratic Khamenei and murderers and thieves of the IRGC.

The election of Raisi ends the game of Iranian moderation. As the Iranian people in their protests have chanted, “The game is over.” And that is why I believe the reality of Iran today, leaves the people of Iran with only one option for a better life for themselves and their children. And that is regime change. Of course, it will not be easy. Listen to what the American patriot Thomas Paine said at the time of America’s revolution. “Tyranny is not easily conquered. Yet we have this constellation. Well, the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. The American Revolution was a difficult conflict against the great world power. And yet, our victory in that revolution was glorious, as was the victory in the French Revolution, and in the last century, the victory of the Freedom Fighters over Soviet Communist tyranny.”

So, too, well, the victory of the people of Iran, over the tyranny in Tehran be glorious, and transformational. Each of us now who live outside Iran must decide and plan what we will do to support the Iranian resistance as it rises up in a revolution.” I want to speak plainly here in America, we should work to convince the Biden administration, that its own policies and values, which the person has said, are to put human rights and democracy promotion at the heart of our foreign policy, once again, must lead the administration to stop trying to negotiate with the evil government in Tehran, and start supporting the people of Iran who want to overthrow it.

President Biden’s commitment likewise to restore our alliances around the world and work again, with our allies and not with our enemies, should lead him to our allies in the region our our our allies, and Israel who have so much to lose in the negotiations with Iran that are now going on in Vienna, but are not at the table. They deserve to be consulted and given respect, much more respect than the tyrants in Tehran. And in America, President Biden’s lifetime record of bipartisanship, and his campaign commitment last year to bring bipartisanship back to our government in Washington, should convince him not to make any agreement with the regime in Tehran that does not have by partisan support in Congress.

My friends, I think, in Congress, it is now possible to put together a bipartisan resolution endorsing regime change in Iran. I hope it will be introduced and passed soon by the Congress of the United States. In some, the government of Iran is at its weakest point since 1979, and the opportunity for ending it is at its strongest. With the help of God, the courage of the Iranian people and support from all of us around the world, there can and will be a free democratic and non-nuclear republic in Iran soon in our time.

So, I’ll tell you, my friends, what I’ve said before, proudly. Are we ready to give the people of Iran the support they deserve and need? Yes, we are ready. Hazer! Hazer! Hazer! Thank you very much. God bless you all, we will meet soon.