{"id":87584,"date":"2026-06-25T01:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=87584"},"modified":"2026-06-24T20:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:10:11","slug":"former-canadian-foreign-minister-john-baird-rejects-false-choice-between-theocracy-and-monarchy-for-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/free-iran-2026\/2026\/06\/former-canadian-foreign-minister-john-baird-rejects-false-choice-between-theocracy-and-monarchy-for-iran\/87584\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird Rejects False Choice Between Theocracy and Monarchy for Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Former — Former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird rejects dictatorship in all forms and supports a democratic future for Iran.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Speaking at the Free Iran 2026 World Summi<\/a>t, former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird called on the international community to abandon what he described as the false narrative that Iran\u2019s future is limited to a choice between the current clerical establishment and a return to monarchical rule. Baird argued that neither religious dictatorship nor hereditary governance represents the aspirations of the Iranian people, emphasizing instead the existence of an organized democratic alternative capable of leading political change. He maintained that the Iranian people deserve a future based on democratic principles rather than a return to any form of authoritarian rule.<\/p>\n
Baird strongly criticized policies of engagement and accommodation toward Tehran, describing the ruling authorities as a force that cannot be appeased, negotiated with, or normalized through conventional diplomacy. He argued that decades of international concessions have failed to alter the regime\u2019s behavior while allowing repression and instability to continue. Stressing the need for a more principled international approach, Baird urged democratic governments to stand firmly with the Iranian people and those working to advance political change from within the country.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the role of the organized opposition, Baird praised the courage of Iranians seeking democratic change and expressed support for a political transition based on free elections, civil liberties, minority rights, and a non-nuclear future for Iran. He described the opposition\u2019s political platform as a viable roadmap for democratic governance and argued that genuine change must be driven by the Iranian people themselves rather than imposed from outside. Baird concluded by expressing confidence that accountability, freedom, and democratic self-government would ultimately prevail in Iran.<\/p>\n
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Former \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 Foreign Minister @Baird<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe religious fascists in Tehran are evil. The people of Iran have made it clear they reject all forms of dictatorship\u2014whether It\u2019s the mullahs or a return to the disgraced regime of the Shah.\u201d<\/p>\n
CC: @MarkJCarney<\/a> @AnitaAnandMP<\/a> @PierrePoilievre<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/winCZC2g3X<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QajY4spEhA<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) June 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n