Speech at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch House of Representatives, July 6, 2026

I thank the honorable Chair and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch House of Representatives for giving me the opportunity to be present and speak at this session today.

For those of us Iranians who fight for democracy, speaking in the parliaments of the world's great democracies is always meaningful and valuable.

This is not only an important moment for the people of Iran. It is a decisive moment for the security of Europe, and of the Netherlands in particular. What is happening in Iran today will shape this continent's security for years to come. The Islamic Republic is no longer merely a challenge in the Middle East; it has become a threat to Europe and the world.

Allow me to state my principles clearly. I believe in a secular, democratic Iran, committed to human rights and inclusive of all citizens, regardless of their religion or beliefs.

An Iran that once again becomes a force for peace and stability in the world.

At the request of tens of millions of my compatriots, I have taken on the responsibility of leading Iran's transition to democracy. This was the very demand that the people of Iran, across the country, proclaimed loudly when they answered my call this past January.

They paid a heavy price for freedom.

More than 40,000 of them were killed at the hands of the Islamic Republic.

They paid the price of freedom with their blood, and they deserve the support of free nations.

That is why I am here today. Not for myself, but for the nation of Iran. Not so that you recognize me, but so that you recognize the people of Iran and their fundamental right to freely choose their own government.

They are fighting, as your national anthem says, against "the tyranny that wounds the heart."

I have been able to unite a broad spectrum of political forces — from left to right, republicans and constitutionalists, diverse ethnic groups, different generations, different schools of thought, followers of different faiths, and even former political rivals — around one shared goal:

Ending the Islamic Republic and replacing it with a secular and democratic system.

These forces have entrusted me to lead the country's transition on the basis of four fundamental principles:

Preserving Iran's territorial integrity,

Guaranteeing the equality of all citizens and individual freedoms,

The separation of religion from government,

And the right of the Iranian people to determine the form of their future political system.

This struggle is not about republic versus constitutional monarchy.

It is about a process through which the people of Iran can decide their country's future themselves, in free and fair elections.

Why does this matter to the Netherlands?

Because a free, secular, and democratic Iran will turn one of Europe's greatest long-term security challenges into one of its most important strategic partners.

A free Iran will end its support for terrorism, stop supplying equipment to Putin's war machine, help stabilize one of the world's most sensitive regions, and become a country of 90 million people eager for trade, investment, and cooperation with Europe.

For the Netherlands — with its global standing in trade, logistics, water management, innovation, and international commerce — this is not an act of charity; it is a strategic opportunity.

By contrast, the survival of the Islamic Republic means a permanent nuclear and missile threat against Europe, the spread of terrorism on this continent's soil, continued disruption of global trade, and ongoing military cooperation with Russia.

Supporting the democratic cause of the Iranian people today costs far less than confronting a more dangerous and more powerful regime tomorrow.

But there is another reason the Netherlands should rethink its view of Iran.

The realities inside Iran have changed.

For years now, the main conflict has no longer been between reformists and hardliners, but between a nation that wants to take charge of its own future and a regime that has held it hostage for nearly half a century.

This battle is a battle for the soul of Iran.

You in the Netherlands know well what occupation means. Just as Queen Wilhelmina and the courageous resistance of the Dutch people drew on the help of their friends to liberate their country from Nazi occupation — not out of dependence, but out of love for their homeland and its independence — the people of Iran stand today at that same point in history.

There is a credible and practical path forward. This is not a fantasy. We have a clear plan for the transition — a plan that my colleagues and I have drawn up to end the Islamic Republic and build a new future.

First, strengthening the pro-democracy movement inside Iran and preparing the people for the decisive moment.

Second, encouraging the armed forces to join the nation to ensure a stable transition.

Third, securing maximum support from the international community for the people of Iran — especially in areas such as internet access, where the technology and experience of the Netherlands can play a decisive role.

Fourth, applying maximum pressure on the regime through sanctions, the full implementation of the terrorist designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, diplomatic isolation, and targeted measures.

And fifth, preparing from today for the transition period, with a political, legal, and economic program for Iran's reconstruction.

Allow me to point to three important realities that should inform Dutch policy toward Iran.

First, the suffering and the demands of the Iranian people must become the centerpiece of the international community's policy.

A matter that is almost entirely ignored today.

Second, the policy of appeasement has failed. The threats the Islamic Republic poses to Europe have no end. Only two months ago, this regime, through its proxies, attempted to assassinate an Iranian dissident on Dutch soil.

As long as this regime remains in power, these threats will continue and grow more dangerous by the day.

No agreement will solve this problem. This behavior is in the nature of this regime. For 47 years you have tried to change the Islamic Republic's behavior; it must now be acknowledged that this policy has failed.

The Netherlands has shown leadership before. You played an important role in advancing the terrorist designation of the Revolutionary Guards in Europe. Now you must lead once again. Europe still has no real strategy toward the Islamic Republic.

Just as you once supported the struggle against apartheid and Poland's Solidarity movement, stand today with the people of Iran.

The people of Iran are not asking you to carry out their revolution for them. They risk their lives for freedom every day. Their only request is that you do not legitimize their oppressors, do not strengthen terrorists, and prepare yourselves for the day when Iran once again takes its rightful place among the free nations of the world.

Supporting the people of Iran is not merely a humanitarian gesture toward a distant country; it is an investment in the security of the Netherlands, the stability of Europe, and a Middle East that exports trade, cooperation, and prosperity instead of terrorism, instability, and waves of refugees.

Few foreign policy decisions can achieve all three of these goals at once.

History will judge whether Europe recognized this moment for what it was.

A moment that offered not only the chance to help a great nation reclaim its sovereignty, but also the chance to make the Netherlands, Europe, and the world safer.

And in closing, I hope that on the day the people of Iran cry out, as you do in your national anthem, "I am free and fearless," I will be able to tell them that the people of the Netherlands stood by their side.

Thank you.