On February 13, 2026, amid the volatile political atmosphere of southeast Iran, PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan resumed their weekly anti-regime campaigns. These activities serve as a poignant reminder of the Iranian people’s resolve to overthrow the clerical regime while firmly rejecting any return to the monarchical dictatorship of the past. Brave activists displayed placards in public spaces emphasizing that the Iranian nation has moved beyond the cycle of tyranny, seeking a future defined by freedom rather than a choice between “the turban or the crown.”
Neither crown nor turban
The core message of the Resistance Units is the establishment of a “red line” against all forms of dictatorship. In Zahedan, placards carried slogans such as “We want neither shah nor mullahs, dictators be damned” and “A dictator is a dictator, whether with a turban or a crown.” This political demarcation is crucial as the regime weakens; it signals that the people will not accept a regression to the Pahlavi era as an alternative to the current theocracy.
February 13—Zahedan, southeast Iran
PMOI Resistance Units resume weekly anti-regime activities, reiterating their commitment to the overthrow of the mullahs' rule, the establishment of a democratic republic, and rejection the return to the shah dictatorship.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs pic.twitter.com/EghzB88C2m— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2026
Drawing parallels to the 1979 revolution, activists urged the current Supreme Leader to face the inevitable, displaying signs that read, “Khamenei you disgrace, get lost and join the shah” and “Khamenei should join the shah as soon as he can.” The Resistance emphasizes that “democracy” is the fundamental difference between the organized resistance of the Iranian people and the remnants of the Shah’s regime, noting that rejecting both systems is a rejection of governance based on “torture and killing and looting.”
The economic spark that turned political
These organized activities are occurring against the backdrop of a massive protest wave that began on December 28, 2025. The unrest initially started as an economic stoppage by bazaari shopkeepers and merchants in central Tehran, triggered by the rial’s sharp plunge and fears of bankruptcy.
However, the situation escalated rapidly, spreading to hundreds of cities and evolving into street demonstrations that called for regime change. The regime tried to quell the protests but was met with the resistance of the people. Only through a brutal massacre of thousands of civilians did the regime manage to regain control of the streets.
"We will not shake hands with the mullahs or the remnants of the shah regime" pic.twitter.com/y9GjaTKP8L
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2026
The PMOI Resistance Units describe this recent “January uprising” as a “lightning-speed offense” by the “army of uprising” that has paved the way for regime change. A critical aspect of their current campaign is ensuring the integrity of this movement. Slogans displayed in Zahedan declared that “the democratic revolution cannot be hijacked,” warning against those who would trade one form of tyranny for another.
The activists also addressed the international community and the policy of appeasement. They stated that “the blood of your children was a great blow to the decaying corpse of the appeasement policy,” signaling that the Iranian people are the only force capable of bringing about change. They demand international recognition of the Iranian Resistance’s 44-year struggle, asserting that the solution is “No to appeasement, no to war, yes to regime change by the people of Iran and their organized Resistance.”