Maryam Rajavi: Commemorating Iran’s 2022 Uprising
Maryam Rajavi: The Footsteps of Uprising Echo Once Again in Iran’s Cities
Fellow compatriots, Supporters of the Iranian Resistance,
On the anniversary of the 2022 uprising, our long-suffering people, the dedicated generation, and the rebellious youth honor the memory of that great surge and all its martyrs, wounded, and fighters by preparing for a thunderous uprising.
As Massoud (Rajavi) said in the midst of that very uprising: “The only path to freedom is the Liberation Army and a hundredfold war through maximum offensive. This is how the new democratic revolution of Iran will triumph.”
Now, once again, the echoing footsteps of those uprisings resound across the cities of Iran.
Salute, salute, salute to the 750 martyrs of that uprising, and to the tens of thousands who were wounded, injured, and imprisoned!
Decisive Role of Women
An uprising that ignited with the spark of Jina Amini’s precious blood and was then set ablaze across all of Iran, from Tehran to Zahedan and Kurdistan, by the tragic martyrdom of a generation of courageous youth and teenagers like Hadis Najafi, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Mehrshad Shahidi, Khodanur Lojei, and Dr. Ebrahim Rigi. Their memories will never be forgotten.
We remember Zahedan’s Bloody Friday; the thousands of students suspended or expelled from their studies; the brave youth who built street barricades in Mahabad, Javanrud, Sanandaj, and Kamyaran; and the fighting spirit of the PMOI Resistance Units—of whom Qalibaf, the speaker of the regime’s parliament, later admitted months down the line: “They played the greatest role in executing and organizing these events.”
The 2022 uprising spread the unifying cry, “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the (mullahs’) Leader!” and unveiled the decisive role of women—a path paved by decades of sacrifice and courage from steadfast PMOI and other women fighters.
Salute to the vanguard women, especially the female students who boldly chanted, “With or without the hijab, forward toward revolution!”—thwarting every effort to derail the movement, just as the fundamental slogan of “Neither Shah nor the Mullahs” gained greater force and validity than ever before.
The Failure of the Regime’s Tactics to Escape Overthrow
Eight months after the uprising of January, today we can say with absolute certainty that every single measure and tactic by the regime to escape its eventual overthrow has failed.
Now, the remnants of the regime live night and day in the nightmare of their own downfall.
The protests of a suppressed, plundered, and disenfranchised people continue to surge higher. Iran’s cities are ablaze with unrest. The policy of driving up prices, the policy of impoverishment, and the attempt to unload the burden of the regime’s failures and bankruptcy onto the people have only broadened this explosive discontent. The regime’s remnants are so terrified that they have resorted to gradual increases in gasoline prices. Yet whatever trick they turn to, it will only crumble over their own heads.
Neither the assault on the people’s livelihoods can offset the regime’s bankruptcy, nor will this savage repression prevent the uprising. The defiance surging through long queues, the rage built up in so much deprivation and hunger, and the flames rising from the bodies and souls of self-immolating workers have left no way out for Khamenei’s son.
That is why he has turned to brutal executions—executing dozens of political prisoners in recent months, including many PMOI members; sentencing a line of political prisoners and rebellious protesters to death; and inflicting inhumane pressure on prisoners of the uprising. Yes, all of this is a desperate struggle for survival. But before the will of the freedom-loving people of Iranian, it is doomed to fail.
In stark contrast, the democratic alternative is in a state of ascension—backed by a rebellious generation, by the battle and suffering of its members and supporters, and by the brave heroes of the Resistance Units. The election of my dear sister Mahnaz Maimanat as the new Secretary General of the PMOI on the anniversary of the organization’s founding shines as a testament to the cohesion and strength of this movement.
Peace and Freedom Will Triumph
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance!
The 2022 uprising, followed by the January 2026 uprising, exposed the destructive role played by the remnants of the Shah’s dictatorship. They are:
• A wrench in the gears of the uprising;
• A drain on the people’s revolutionary energy;
• And their staged TV broadcasts and social media fabrications ultimately serve the regime’s interests.
Yet, as Massoud Rajavi asserted: “The great lesson of two wars and one uprising in 2026 is that a return to a puppet royalist fascism is nothing more than a mirage.”
The remnants of both the mullahs and the Shah crave war and dictatorship, but the people of Iran yearn for peace and freedom. The rallying cry of the National Council of Resistance of Iran is Peace and Freedom—and in the end, it is peace and freedom that will triumph.
Hail to Freedom!
Hail to the People of Iran!
