Resistance units in Zahedan defy repression with ‘no to shah, no to mullahs’ campaign

2026-01-25 - 21:06

On January 23, members of the PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan, southeast Iran, resumed their public activities, challenging the regime’s suffocating security atmosphere. Despite the clerical regime’s brutal repression aimed at quelling the ongoing national uprising, these activists returned to the streets to reiterate their commitment to the struggle for freedom. Their latest campaign focuses on the establishment of a democratic republic that fundamentally rejects all forms of dictatorship, whether religious or monarchical. January 23—Zahedan, southeast Iran PMOI Resistance Units resume their activities despite the regime's brutal repression of ongoing national uprising. The Resistance Units reiterated their commitment to struggle against the regime and to fight for the establishment of a democratic... pic.twitter.com/f1c9MQqEkO — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 24, 2026 In a display of defiance against the regime’s security apparatus, Resistance Units held placards in various public locations across the city. The central theme of their message was the “historical demarcation” against tyranny. One prominent placard read, “The slogan ‘No to Shah, no to mullahs’ is the historical demarcation against dictatorship and colonialism and it is the true meaning of freedom and independence.” The Resistance Units emphasized that the Iranian people have moved beyond the false binary of choosing between past and present autocrats. Placards declared that “the era of any kind of dictatorship, whether religious or monarchical, is over” and asserted, “A dictator is a dictator, whether he wears a turban or a crown.” A key component of the campaign was exposing the political tactics used by the ruling mullahs to divert the revolution. The Resistance Units warned that the regime is actively promoting the narrative of a return to monarchy to derail the people’s democratic movement. One placard stated, “To stop the uprising and the democratic revolution of the people, the religious dictatorship of the mullahs is trying to create the impression that its only alternative is the shah dictatorship.” "To stop the uprising and the democratic revolution of the people, the religious dictatorship of the mullahs is trying to create the impression that its only alternative is the shah dictatorship" pic.twitter.com/VUiAGLljRv — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 24, 2026 Addressing the regime’s Supreme Leader directly, signs read, “Khamenei you disgrace, get lost like the Shah!” and “The message of the people [to the ruling mullahs] is this: Like the Shah, get lost before it’s too late.” The campaign also highlighted the unity of the Iranian people across different provinces and ethnicities. Emphasizing solidarity between the restive southeast and the capital, slogans included, “From Zahedan to Tehran, down with the oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs” and “Baluchestan is awake and despises the shah and mullahs.” Ultimately, the Resistance Units articulated a vision for a future based on popular sovereignty rather than hereditary or theocratic rule. Condemning the “100 years of crime” represented by the monarchy and the mullahs’ rule, the activists called for a new path: “No to monarchy, no to the supreme leader, yes to justice and equality” and “No to mullahs, no to shah, yes to freedom and a democratic republic.”