Freedom for Iran! – Interview with a woman who values humanity and keeps on fighting for freedom in her country of origin.
Ms. Victoria Azad is a prominent political figure who has been actively fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran in various forms and on multiple fronts for the past 46 years. She is widely recognized as a political analyst, strategist, author, and media personality. Throughout the years, Ms. Azad has founded and led several organizations dedicated to the overthrow of the Islamic regime and has gained invaluable experience in organizational and party work. She is the founder of the Iranyaran Network and maintains active ties with various political groups and figures within the Iranian opposition.
Freedom for Iran! – Victoria Âzad on X
Ms. Azad has long-standing connections with political activists inside Iran and has consistently supported political prisoners. As a result, she is listed on the Islamic regime’s intelligence and security blacklist. She has authored numerous important articles and is considered one of the key figures in the Iranian opposition. With thousands of followers, she is frequently called upon to comment on political developments in Iran.
Victoria joined the “Front for the Revival of Law and National Sovereignty in Iran” a few months ago and is currently working with Vahid Beheshti, Mostafa Azmayesh, and the Front’s team.
Helmut N. Gabel, mehriran.de: Dear Victoria, thank you for your time. We would like to talk about how to achieve freedom for Iran. To begin with, why is freedom such a relevant value, and how would it change people’s lives in Iran, if once achieved?
Victoria Âzad: Freedom is a relevant value because it restores dignity, choice, and accountability to individuals and society. In Iran, achieving freedom would end decades of repression, allowing people to speak, think, and live without fear. It would unlock creativity, rebuild trust, and empower citizens to shape their own future — politically, culturally, and economically. The people of Iran have paid a heavy price for freedom—through lives lost, imprisonment, exile, and ongoing repression—because freedom is a fundamental human need, essential for dignity, justice, and progress.
Despite decades of censorship and the violent suppression of independent voices, Iranian society continues to strive for liberation, having learned that without freedom, no reform can truly endure. Freedom has become a dream in Iran because generations have resisted an ideological dictatorship that uses every tool of power—violence, propaganda, deception, and division—to maintain control. Yet this dream persists because it remains unfulfilled. It keeps returning with new flames—in slogans, in the streets, and in the hearts of a people who still refuse to surrender.
Helmut N. Gabel: As Journalists we certainly try to inform the public about relevant political, economical, cultural, military and scientific decisions, actions and theories. There are many subjects to direct the attention to and there are specific interests of specific groups and there are various narrations and interpretations of what is going on in the world. Why should European citizens take an interest in freedom in Iran or the struggle for freedom of people who live far away from them?
Victoria Âzad: European citizens should care about freedom in Iran—and elsewhere—for several compelling reasons, both moral and practical:
1. Shared Humanity and Universal Values
Freedom, dignity, and human rights are not cultural luxuries—they are universal. If Europeans believe in these values at home, ignoring their suppression abroad undermines the global credibility of those ideals. When one group is denied freedom, the moral fabric of humanity weak.
2. Ripple Effects: Instability Doesn’t Stay Local
Authoritarian regimes like the Islamic Republic contribute to global instability:
Migration pressures increase as people flee oppression and poverty. Terror networks and proxy wars—Iran is a known backer of groups that operate in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond. Nuclear threats and energy disruptions affect global security and markets. A freer Iran means a more stable Middle East—and by extension, a more secure Europe.
3. Precedent and Inspiration
The success or failure of pro-democracy movements abroad sends a message everywhere. When authoritarian regimes crush dissent without consequence, it emboldens autocrats globally—including within Europe’s own neighbourhood (e.g. Russia, Belarus, Turkey). Supporting freedom movements reaffirms that democracies stand together.
4. Responsibility of Democracies
Europe benefitted historically from the sacrifices others made for freedom. With this legacy comes the responsibility to support those still fighting. Silence can be complicity—especially when EU governments continue trading with oppressive regimes.
5. Iranian People Want to Be Heard
Iranians have repeatedly risked their lives for freedom—from the 2009 Green Movement to the 2022–2023 Women, Life, Freedom uprising. When European citizens show solidarity, it matters. It gives moral support to the people and signals to regimes that their crimes aren’t going unnoticed.
In short: it’s about standing on the right side of history, protecting Europe’s own long-term interests, and affirming that freedom is not a privilege of the lucky—but a right worth defending, everywhere.
A targeted military intervention
Helmut N. Gabel: How can freedom and fundamental political change be achieved in Iran, when citizens face an ideological, murderous regime and the international community seems paralysed by its propaganda?
Victoria Âzad: Freedom and real political transformation in Iran cannot be achieved through civil resistance, protests, and strikes alone. I explained the reasons behind this analysis in detail in my Manifesto for Transition, published over a year ago in Persian. The document is available on my Telegram channel Shabakeh-ye IranYaran (شبکه ایرانیاران)
The Islamic Republic is not a normal government. It is an ideological and terrorist regime that has consistently resisted reform and neutralized diplomacy. It systematically relies on poisonous propaganda, proxy terrorism, and brutal domestic repression to maintain its grip on power.
That is why the Iranian people, in addition to political resistance, need a military lever—which they do not currently possess. However, our regional ally, Israel, does. Israel also has strategic reasons to support regime change in Iran. So why shouldn’t Israel take the lead in this part of the anti-regime effort?
Of course, the full support of the United States is also critical. A joint strategy involving the Iranian people, U.S. leadership, and targeted Israeli military intervention should be endorsed by President Trump. Such an approach would bring legitimacy and momentum to the liberation of Iran.
A targeted military intervention—not a full-scale war, but precise strategic strikes against the regime’s repressive infrastructure, including the elimination of its top leadership and military command—is necessary to shift the balance of power in favour of the Iranian people. Without external pressure, even the most widespread uprisings in Iran, as history shows, are at risk of being violently crushed.
The path to freedom requires the convergence of internal resistance and an external deterrent. As I wrote in the manifesto, when global powers come to realize that the cost of appeasement is higher than the cost of action, and when the strategic interests of the international community align with the aspirations of the Iranian people, military intervention will no longer be taboo—it will become a serious political option. Fear will break, and from that moment, a national-democratic alternative will begin to emerge.
Today, I can say with certainty: this analysis was correct. The 12-day military campaign by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic—though short and limited—shattered the regime’s aura of invincibility, deepened internal fractures, eliminated many of its operatives, and restored public faith in America and Israel. Many Iranians had assumed these powers were complicit with the regime, but they now see the rift is real. The regime’s nuclear infrastructure has been severely damaged, its leaders have lost their sense of security, and many have literally gone into hiding.
The Iranian people are now waiting for the continuation of these strikes. They expect more regime figures to be taken down. The puzzle is not yet complete, and the regime has not yet fallen. But to enable the transition to national sovereignty, the regime’s repressive apparatus must be fully paralysed.
Achieving freedom
Helmut N. Gabel: What is the role of the Iranian Opposition in Exile in achieving freedom for Iran?
Victoria Âzad: The Iranian opposition in exile plays a pivotal—though often contested—role in the struggle for Iran’s freedom. Its impact depends on its ability to overcome internal divisions, gain legitimacy among the people inside the country, and build effective international alliances.
Key Functions of the Opposition in Exile
1. Diplomatic Advocacy and Pressure to Support the Iranian People and Political Prisoners
Exiled opposition groups have the freedom to interact with foreign governments, media, and international institutions—an advantage that activists inside Iran lack due to repression. These groups can:
- Expose the regime’s crimes and lobby for sanctions and diplomatic isolation—something that the Iran Front for the Rule of Law and National Sovereignty has actively pursued.
- A powerful example is Vahid Beheshti, who has been on hunger strike and in permanent protest outside the UK Foreign Office for 890 days, declaring that he will not return home until the Islamic regime is fully overthrown.
- The Iran Front is currently under intense attack by the Islamic Republic, a clear indication of its growing influence and threat to the regime.
2. Generating Political Alternatives and Securing Global Support
The opposition can offer what the regime fears most: a coherent, legitimate, and transparent alternative to its rule. This includes:
- Drafting transition roadmaps such as the Iran Front for the Rule of Law and National Sovereignty.
- Proposing a secular, democratic, and nationalist model for post-Islamic Republic governance.
- Organizing and coordinating a field of struggle against the regime, in collaboration with grassroots leaders inside Iran.
- Assisting military leverage where necessary to accelerate regime change.
3. Supporting Domestic Protest Movement
Although direct intervention is limited, the opposition abroad can:
- Amplify the voices of protesters and document the regime’s violence and crimes for the global stage.
4. Countering the Regime’s Propaganda Narratives
The Islamic Republic consistently tries to portray all opposition as foreign-driven or tied to global powers. A legitimate opposition can: Build credibility by emphasizing national interest and avoiding partisan or extremist rhetoric—something the Iran Front has successfully done, now gaining a broad and diverse following.
Maintain effective communication channels with the people inside Iran, exposing the regime’s false narratives and offering clear, independent perspectives. Channels like DorrTV and the Network of IranYaran have played a key role in this mission
5. The Unique Role of the Iran Front for the Rule of Law and National Sovereignty
- This Front seeks to unite pro-democracy forces inside and outside Iran. With its 17 founding principles rooted in national sovereignty, human rights, and legal governance, the Front offers a common platform that brings together diverse political tendencies, ethnic communities, believers of different faiths, and secular democratic thinkers.
- In a time of regime collapse, the Front can become the temporary and legitimate voice of the Iranian nation, guiding a peaceful and coordinated transition.
- Its internal-external composition lends it both authenticity and operational flexibility—allowing it to receive and transfer power from the regime back to the people.
- The Front’s mission is to prevent chaos and prepare the conditions for a free and fair referendum to determine Iran’s future government—whether it be a parliamentary system, independent judiciary, national army, and a newly drafted constitution through a Constituent Assembly.
- This framework will stand as a barrier to the reemergence of authoritarianism and absolutism in post-Islamic Iran.
Freedom in Iran will not be achieved solely by the opposition abroad, but without it—without a legitimate and organized voice in exile—there will be no bridge between internal resistance and the international community, and no leadership ready when the moment of collapse arrives. The Iran Front for the Rule of Law and National Sovereignty may well be the missing piece in Iran’s historic puzzle of transition.
Helmut N. Gabel: May your dream of freedom, rule of law and sovereignity for Iran come true!
© Helmut N. Gabel, mehriran.de, 03.08.2025
