Thousands of Iranian Americans march from US Capitol to White House, Support Overthrow of Iran Regime

Washington, DC, March 8, 2025 – Thousands of Iranian Americans from across 40 states marched from the Capitol to the White House, supporting the full enforcement of the maximum pressure policy on Iran’s regime and expressed support with the Iranian people’s ongoing struggle to overthrew the clerical regime. Demonstrators urged the administration to recognize Iranian people’s right to overthrow the regime amid an escalating nuclear threat and a dramatic surge in executions—over 200 since January. While expressing support for the principal Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), participants waved flags as they marched from the Capitol to the White House.

This significant rally, coincided with International Women’s Day, heightened their appeal for the international community and the U.S. to adopt a comprehensive firm policy against the regime and recognition of the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the regime. The event also expressed support for the Ten-point Plan presented by NCRI’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi, which envisions a transition to a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic, signifying a unified commitment to transformative change and the empowerment of women.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi was the keynote speaker at the rally, who addressed the rally via video link from France. Other speakers included Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Ambassador Sam Brownback, and several members of the Iranian American communities.

In her remarks, Mrs. Rajavi said, “Now is the time to rise. Neither chance, nor coincidence, nor imaginary forces-none of these will cause change in Iran. This regime will neither collapse, nor will it implode from within. There is only one way. That one and only way is organized resistance and uprising. Everything depends on the will and struggle of the youth of Iran. Everything depends on whether we are willing to pay the full price for freedom.

This is why we have come to the forefront. And we declare: Now is the time to rise.”She cautioned about being distracted by fake opposition groups and individuals and said, “There is another group that, through commotion and clamor in support of the previous dictatorship seeks to aid the survival of the current regime. At some point in the past, a Russian Cossack Colonel and later an English General, and on a third occasion the coup plotters of August 19, 1953, each in turn crafted a king for Iran. Now, it is the turn of the IRGC to do the same. This means the neo-fascist monarchists are nothing more than pawns of the ruling religious fascism.”

Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) opened his speech at the rally by saying, “we’re here to say that we stand with the Iranian people and we reject the parasitic regime that has ruled that country since 1979. Honoring International Women’s Day, he added, let us honor the innocent women of Iran killed by this evil regime and join the Iranian women here, and Maryam Rajavi in calling for a free democratic non-nuclear Republic of Iran.”

Rep. Sherman referenced Iran’s nuclear that and added, “first, we should remember that it was the MEK (The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran) that first revealed to the world in 2002 that Iran was working on a nuclear weapon. This is the last resort of the Ayatollah’s regime. It cannot achieve popularity because of its policies, so it seeks to terrorize its own people and the people of the region. But it has failed. It lost its ally Hezbollah and its ally Assad. And soon, it will lose its death grip on the Iranian people.” He emphasized that the United States must support those working for democracy in Iran and said, “A democratic Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. That is why last week, my fellow Californian congressman Tom McClintock and I joined with 150 bipartisan members of Congress to introduce a resolution (H.Res 166) supporting democracy in Iran, condemning state-sponsored terrorism, and standing with the Iranian people in calling for democracy.”

Event’s next speaker was the Hon. Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City. He began his speech by emphasizing the need for sanctions on the clerical regime and said, “Once again, the sanctions have been placed on one of the most brutal regimes in world history. Once again, they’re beginning to suffer.” He then referenced the recent uprisings in Iran and highlighted the MEK’s role in mobilizing protests that nearly toppled the regime. Mayor Giuliani added, “You were really close to doing it in 2019, 2020, and 2022. We’re back there now, and the mullahs are even weaker. They were propped up by Hezbollah. Where are they now? They were propped up by Assad in Syria. Where are they now? You’re not going to need American or European troops. You only need yourselves, Madame Rajavi, and the NCRI.”

Ambassador Sam Brownback, the Former Governor of Kansas also addressed the event by saying, “the winds of change are blowing in Tehran. It is time. It is pastime for this to happen. I applaud your heart and how you’ve stayed with this for a long time.” Chanting with the crowd, “No more nukes. No more mullahs” he added, “We need European support for it, and they should support a change in regime in Iran. We’ve got to get rid of this regime in Iran, or it will be nuclear. It’s not now or never. It’s now or nuclear. It has to change.” Ambassador Brownback noted that, “maximum pressure campaign, which is being put on by the White House, but it also needs a political component. It needs to support regime change in Iran. That’s what it needs to have with it. We’ve got maximum economic pressure. We need maximum security pressure. We need maximum political pressure on the Tehran regime. It’s a change. By the people of Iran.”

Other speakers at the rally included Iranian American Community leaders such as Dr. Azadeh Sami, Dr. Solmaz Abooali as well as members of OIAC youth chapter.