The U.S. Congress House Resolution 166, supporting the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic republic and condemning the clerical regime’s terrorism, repression, and regional warmongering, has gained the support of a majority in Congress with the signatures of 220 representatives from both parties.
This resolution was introduced by 11 chairs of House committees, Democratic leaders in 6 committees, chairs of 45 subcommittees in Congress, 21 members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, 32 members of the Armed Services Committee, 30 members of the Appropriations Committee, and 14 members of the Intelligence Committee.
The resolution recalls the support of 4,000 parliamentarians from around the world, including 33 legislative assemblies, over 130 former world leaders, and 80 Nobel laureates, for Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the future of Iran. Referring to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur regarding the execution of tens of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s, it notes: “The Special Rapporteur notes that the ‘atrocity crimes’ as reported—which took place all across Iran—represent the commission of the worst and the most egregious human rights abuses of our living memory whereby high-ranking state officials connived, conspired, and actively engaged to plan, order and commit crimes against humanity against the nationals of their own state,” and that “an overwhelming majority of the executed prisoners were members and sympathizers of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).”
Further laying out the context for its stance, the resolution highlights several key points. It references the “roadmap for the process of change in Iran” presented by Mrs. Rajavi to the European Parliament in November 2024, which outlines “concrete and feasible steps for regime change” driven by the Iranian people themselves through a “democratic process for transferring power.”
The resolution also draws attention to the residents of Ashraf 3 in Albania, noting that over 900 are “former political prisoners” who bore witness to the regime’s brutalities. Many of these individuals, described as “witnesses of the 1988 massacre and other political killings,” are deemed crucial for future justice efforts and “must be fully protected for potential testimonies” before international tribunals.
Finally, the resolution connects these specific points to the broader aspirations of the Iranian populace. It states that the Iranian people, having been “deprived of their fundamental freedoms,” fundamentally “oppose any form of authoritarian rule.” This is evident, the resolution notes, in protest slogans where they explicitly “reject monarchic dictatorship and religious tyranny,” ultimately seeking to “determine their destiny, based on their vote, as the sole criteria for political legitimacy.”
In its concluding points, the bipartisan resolution outlines several key actions and positions:
The House members begin by “unequivocally condemn[ing]” the Iranian regime’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East, labeling its warmongering “a major source of terrorism and regional instability” and calling for its cessation. Furthermore, the resolution affirms that supporting the calls of Iranian protesters for “fundamental changes within Iran” is crucial, as it would contribute to “peaceful coexistence among neighboring nations” and bolster both regional and global security.
Underscoring fundamental human rights, the lawmakers acknowledged and upheld “the Iranian people’s inherent right to determine their political future,” referencing the principles enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This leads to a call for consequences, urging measures “holding the Iranian regime and its leaders accountable” for crimes through continued sanctions. Simultaneously, the resolution advocates for supporting the Iranian opposition, specifically endorsing the “Ten-Point Plan for the Future of Iran” as a pathway towards a “democratic, secular, peaceful, and nonnuclear republic.”
Recognizing that the Iranian people are “deprived of all their fundamental rights and political paths for change,” the resolution urges the international community to acknowledge the rights of protesters and “Resistance Units to confront the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)” and other repressive forces in their pursuit of change. Finally, addressing the plight of dissidents abroad, it calls on the U.S. government to collaborate with Albania to “ensure the full protection of the Iranian political refugees in Ashraf 3” against the regime’s ongoing threats, ensuring they enjoy all rights including “the right to life, liberty, and security.”