Across Iran, a sweeping campaign of defiance is unfolding. On June 14, 2026, the Resistance Units of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) continued their extensive operations across the country to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the June 20, 1981, uprising.
This internal mobilization honors a defining historical milestone in the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and demonstrates profound, on-the-ground solidarity with the impending massive rally of the Iranian Resistance in France. As the regime desperately clings to power through terror, the courageous actions of these units prove that the nationwide resistance movement remains highly active and deeply rooted within Iranian society.
A nationwide display of defiance by Resistance Units
The Resistance Units have showcased significant operational reach, executing their campaign in major cities and provinces spanning the entirety of Iran. Reports of their activities have emerged from Sanandaj, Dorud, Lahijan, Karaj, Sari, Kermanshah, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Kashan, Fasa, Zanjan, Qazvin, Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Shahreza. In these cities, activists have taken immense risks to install large placards and posters from pedestrian bridges, while others have held banners featuring the images of Iranian Resistance leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi.
June 14—Iran
PMOI/MEK Resistance Units continue their activities in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the June 20, 1981, uprising and in solidarity and support for the upcoming rally of the Iranian Resistance.#100kFreeIranRally pic.twitter.com/XJ4PgGmgxV— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2026
The core messaging of this campaign focuses heavily on the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA) and the unyielding demand for regime change. Activists in Sari and Karaj held placards declaring that the NLA is the “nightmare of the mullahs’ regime” and the “only path to salvation.” The Resistance Units also boldly displayed slogans calling for the complete overthrow of the regime, hanging banners with messages such as, “Down with Khamenei, salute to Rajavi,” “Down with the rule of the mullahs,” and “No army or power on earth is stronger than our collective will for freedom.”
The significance of June 20
The slogans echoing across Iran today are deeply tied to the historical weight of June 20. In their placards, Resistance Units refer to this date as the “most glorious chapter of resistance” and a “defining turning point.” This honors June 20, 1981, the day the ruling theocracy fully unmasked its despotic nature. On that day, the clerical regime opened fire on a massive, peaceful demonstration of the PMOI in Tehran. Hundreds of unarmed citizens were killed in the streets, and thousands more were arrested and swiftly sent to firing squads.
Sari
"The National Liberation Army is the nightmare of the mullahs' regime" pic.twitter.com/fUY9RBE96v— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2026
This brutal crackdown initiated an era of absolute repression, effectively destroying the democratic achievements gained following the 1979 revolution. For the Iranian Resistance, June 20, 1981, drew a thick line between capitulation and resistance, proving that any compromise with the ruling clerics would only empower them to continue their brutal suppression. Today, the date is remembered inside Iran as the Day of Martyrs and Political Prisoners, serving as a constant reminder that the only path to freedom is the overthrow of the regime.
Operating in a vulnerable yet brutal climate
The current mobilization of the Resistance Units is taking place in an environment where the regime is unprecedentedly weak, yet exceptionally brutal. Following the massive nationwide uprising in January 2026 that brought the state to the brink of collapse, the ruling clerics are deeply terrified of popular outrage. Even with the dictator’s son installed after Ali Khamenei’s death on February 28, 2026, the system possesses absolutely no capacity for reform.
Mashhad
"Honoring June 20, 1987, the historic anniversary of the founding of the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA)." pic.twitter.com/CW74HLM6XF— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2026
To prevent another revolt, the regime has exploited recent wartime conditions to systematically execute political prisoners. Recently, eight PMOI members and over 20 youths involved in the January uprisings were executed.
Despite this horrific surge in repression, the Resistance Units have proven their operational capacity on the ground. During the January uprising, they executed 630 operations to defend unarmed protesters, and on February 23, 2026, 250 PMOI fighters launched a daring assault on Khamenei’s heavily guarded headquarters.
Tying the internal struggle to the global movement
The bravery of the Resistance Units inside Iran serves as the beating heart of the upcoming June 20, 2026, rally at Place Vauban in Paris. More than 100,000 supporters of the Iranian Resistance, along with lawmakers and human rights advocates from across the globe, are set to gather in what will be one of the largest Iranian rallies ever held in Europe.
Shiraz
"No army or power on earth is stronger than our collective will for freedom." pic.twitter.com/VnoI52oZLR— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 15, 2026
The Paris gathering amplifies the exact same message championed by the Resistance Units on the streets of Iran: “No to Shah, No to Mullahs.” The Iranian people have made it clear they reject a return to past dictatorships, dismissing the fabricated alternative centered on monarchical remnants that only divided the people during the 2022 and 2026 uprisings.
Instead, the true path forward is Maryam Rajavi’s “Third Option”—a democratic transformation led by the Iranian people. To facilitate this, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced a provisional government on February 28, 2026, grounded in the Ten-Point Plan, which promises gender equality, the abolition of the death penalty, and a pluralistic republic.
Ultimately, the intertwined efforts of the Resistance Units and the global rally prove that the movement born out of the bloodshed of June 20, 1981, is the only legitimate force capable of realizing a free Iran.