Following the Israeli invasion of Iran, claims of regime change in Iran have intensified, and journalists and analysts have tried to address various aspects of the issue.
In a recent article, the New York Times discussed the issue of regime change in Iran and various possibilities for a so-called replacement. As expected, the name of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) is also included in the list of existing options.
In the article, the MEK is introduced as a group that was once recognized by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization and is accused of being a cult by former members. The author of the article emphasizes that the MEK has tried to restore its credibility in recent years.
The NYTimes reporter sees the MEK’s siding with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war as the dark spot in the MEK’s past, the act that many Iranians considered treason.
Reviewing the MEK’s background the author states: The group’s ideology, which began as a blend of Islamism and Marxism, had begun to center around its leaders, Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. Former members have said they were told to renounce marriage and divorce their spouses to prove their commitment to them.
The author of the article explains that representatives of the MEK, who are mainly based in Albania, and Maryam Rajavi did not respond to requests for an interview, and points to Maryam Rajavi’s recent claim regarding Israel’s attack on Iran which according to her “represents the beginning of a critical new chapter, both in Iran’s internal crisis and in the broader dynamics of the region.”
The NYTimes’ article has examined whether the MEK could be a factor in “broader dynamics” in the region. In this regard, he cites the MEK media’s claim: “Ms. Rajavi’s official platform now calls for a secular republic, gender equality, and a non-nuclear Iran.”
It also acknowledges that prominent American politicians have received tens of thousands of dollars to speak at the group’s conferences to promote this cause.
The NYTimes resumes the topic of the MEK with a key statement citing from Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University.: “The problem is that the MEK has almost zero popularity in Iran.”
Referring to the vast number of MEK paid supporters in the US government, Hashemi points out the ironic truth: ” It has more supporters in Washington, D.C., than in Iran.”