The former U.S. Under Secretary of State discusses Iran’s wave of executions, the alternative to the current regime, the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan, and why he believes democratic change must come from the Iranian people.
In an interview with Simay Azadi on the sidelines of the Free Iran World Summit in Paris, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph discussed the recent wave of executions in Iran, the regime’s response to growing internal pressure, the alternative to the current political system, international policy toward Tehran, and the cancellation of the Free Iran rally in Paris.
During the interview, Joseph argued that the recent executions reflect the regime’s growing weakness rather than strength. He said the Iranian people reject both religious dictatorship and a return to monarchy, endorsed the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) Ten-Point Plan, criticized policies of appeasement toward Tehran, and emphasized that democratic change must come from the Iranian people themselves rather than through foreign intervention.
Read the full text of the interview below (edited for clarity):
Q: Thank you very much, Ambassador Joseph, for this interview with Simay Azadi. Let us begin with this question. We have witnessed a wave of executions in Iran in recent months, especially after the war. Eight members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) have been executed. Why do you think the regime has increased the number of executions at this time?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: I think the executions reflect the current state of the regime.
The regime is at its weakest point, and these executions are a means of intimidating the people of Iran.
Anyone who resists—even in defense of the most basic human and civil rights—faces prosecution, torture in many cases, and execution.
I believe this is a desperate regime that is on its last legs, and the international community must work together to stop these executions.
Q: In recent months, we have also seen efforts to promote Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed Shah, as an alternative to the current regime. As someone who has spent many years in diplomacy and foreign affairs, what do you believe is an alternative to this regime, and what is not?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: First of all, I have never understood the proposition that the Iranian people would want to replace one corrupt and brutal regime with another corrupt and brutal regime.
The attraction of Reza Pahlavi is simply incomprehensible to me, and I believe it is equally incomprehensible to the Iranian people.
The true alternative to both the religious dictatorship and the restoration of the monarchy is a democratic republic.
That democratic republic is founded on the principles contained in Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan and represented by the NCRI and the MEK.
That is the vision for a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran.
Q: You have supported the Iranian Resistance for many years. Why do you support the Ten-Point Plan and this movement?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: My professional background is in nuclear affairs.
When I was serving at the White House, I came to the conclusion that as long as this regime remains in power, the world will continue to face the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
The only way to move beyond that threat is through regime change—not imposed by the United States or any outside power—but achieved by the Iranian people themselves.
When I first reached that conclusion, I didn’t even know what the NCRI stood for.
I looked at the opposition and asked who was capable of leading the Iranian people to end this religious dictatorship.
The answer was clear.
Mrs. Rajavi, the NCRI, and the Ten-Point Plan provide the principles for a modern, democratic, and secular society.
Q: What should the international community do now? Some argue for military action, while others continue to advocate engagement with Tehran. How do you view those approaches?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: The first principle is that we must not throw this regime another lifeline through policies of appeasement.
We saw that under President Obama.
We saw it again under President Biden.
Those policies need to be reversed.
The world must recognize that this regime has to go and support the Iranian people’s efforts.
That is the only solution—not only to the nuclear challenge, but also to the regime’s support for terrorist proxies, its destabilizing regional activities, and its brutal repression of the Iranian people.
If there is ever a moral imperative, it is to stand with the Iranian people.
And I believe Mrs. Rajavi best represents Iran’s future.
Q: Yesterday, a major Free Iran rally in Paris was canceled less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to begin, despite organizers expecting around 100,000 participants from across Europe. What message does that decision send, and what should the French government have done?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: I believe the French court’s ruling betrays the fundamental principles of a democratic society.
Freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are core principles rooted in France’s own Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.
That historic document has served as a model for democratic societies for nearly two and a half centuries.
Those are the principles France should uphold—not blackmail or coercion by the Iranian regime, which I believe influenced this decision.
In my view, this was a political decision that betrayed the principles of the French Republic.
Q: Finally, what message would you like to send to the Iranian people, especially the Resistance Units who will be watching this interview on Simay Azadi?
Ambassador Robert Joseph: First of all, I congratulate everyone involved in the Resistance at every level.
My message is simple.
This regime is at its weakest point in nearly half a century.
Now is the time to seize the opportunity.
Now is the time to consign this regime to the trash bin of history.
It has shown that it cannot change and cannot reform.
Its answer has always been repression, war against women, and countless other atrocities.
From the mass killings of the 1980s to the repression of recent protests, this is a regime that is evil.
We must treat it as such.
We cannot negotiate with this regime—we have already learned that lesson from past failures.
This regime must go.
The only solution is to support the Iranian people.