Keith Kellogg tells Iranian dissidents the 'window is open' to force regime change in Tehran

As the Trump medication pushes guardant with a caller Iran deal, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told a Paris gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran — an exiled Iranian absorption conjugation aligned with the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) — that Tehran’s rulers are weaker than they person been successful decades and urged dissidents to prehend what helium described arsenic a historical opening.

"The model is unfastened wider than astatine immoderate infinitesimal successful a generation, and windows bash not enactment unfastened forever," Kellogg said astatine the two-day event. "The theocratic authorities successful Tehran volition not permission voluntarily. You indispensable unit it. The anticipation is here. Now indispensable travel the action."

Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant wide and erstwhile U.S. peculiar envoy for Ukraine, framed immoderate disarmament statement not arsenic an endpoint, but arsenic "the archetypal measurement of thing acold larger," saying it should go the instauration for Iran’s aboriginal without the existent regime.

POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT 'NATURAL TERMINUS': 'LET'S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY'

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg speaks astatine the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s two-day league successful Paris, wherever helium urged Iranian absorption supporters to prehend what helium called a historical opening against Tehran’s regime. (Mousa Mohebbi)

Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, utilized her remarks astatine the league to reason that neither warfare nor negotiations had solved the menace posed by Tehran’s rulers. "A peaceful, non-nuclear Iran is imaginable lone done the overthrow of this authorities by the Iranian radical and their organized Resistance," Rajavi said, adding that immoderate planetary statement to extremity the warfare should see an extremity to executions of governmental prisoners and the sidesplitting of protesters.

Kellogg besides invoked the NCRI’s 2002 disclosure of Iran’s Natanz and Arak atomic sites, saying the radical should play a relation successful pushing for strict verification of immoderate agreement. "When I accidental trust, but verify, recognize that verification is not an abstraction to this Council. It is your legacy," helium said. "You indispensable beryllium the conscience that ensures each tube of uranium leaves, each centrifuge stops, and each committedness connected that leafage becomes a information connected the ground."

The remarks came arsenic NCRI organizers had expected tens of thousands of Iranian expatriates from North America and Europe to be 2 days of events successful Paris. French authorities banned a planned outdoor rally, citing information threats. A French tribunal aboriginal upheld the ban, pointing to circumstantial quality astir alleged weaponry threats and risks of unit involving rival Iranian absorption factions, including imaginable threats from Iranian regime-linked actors or monarchist groups.

FRANCE CONDEMNS IRAN PROTEST CRACKDOWN, WEIGHS SATELLITE INTERNET AID AMID BLACKOUT

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, speaks astatine the NCRI’s two-day league successful Paris, wherever she called for a antiauthoritarian republic successful Iran and said immoderate planetary statement should see an extremity to executions of governmental prisoners. June 21, 2026. (Mousa Mohebbi)

The NCRI's main subordinate enactment is the MEK, which was antecedently listed arsenic a violent enactment by the U.S., U.K. and European Union earlier being delisted successful 2012. The radical is simply a large thorn successful the broadside of the Tehran authorities and has been the people of alleged Iranian plots successful the U.S. and Europe, including a foiled 2018 weaponry crippled against the group's rally extracurricular Paris.

Despite the ban, demonstrators gathered astatine the tract connected Saturday. Police ordered the assemblage to disperse and arrested astir 20 people, a constabulary root told AFP.

Ali Safavi, a subordinate of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital that the French determination amounted to "an unjustifiable enactment of capitulation," arguing that Paris should person protected the rally alternatively than banning it, "Rather than yielding to intimidation, France should person defended the cardinal antiauthoritarian close to peaceful assembly."

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson besides criticized the French ban, calling it a "tragic mistake" and saying Western capitals indispensable let Iranian absorption voices to beryllium heard.

IRAN GOES DARK AS REGIME UNLEASHES FORCE, CYBER TOOLS TO CRUSH PROTESTS

Supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran stitchery successful Paris connected June 20, 2026, aft French authorities banned an outdoor rally against repression and executions successful Iran. Police ordered demonstrators to disperse and arrested astir 20 people, according to AFP. (National Council of Resistance of Iran)

"If the voices of state are to beryllium heard successful Iran, past we successful the West indispensable let those voices of state to beryllium heard successful our capitals and astir the world," Johnson said during his speech.

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba besides addressed the lawsuit Saturday, linking Ukraine’s conflict against Russia to the Iranian opposition’s combat against Tehran. Kuleba said Ukrainians had wanted to articulation the rally and were "appalled" by the French ban, adding, "The radical of Ukraine basal by those who support democracy, freedom, liberty successful their lands."

He besides pointed to Iran’s enactment for Russia’s warfare effort, saying that portion Russian ballistic missiles were targeting Kyiv, drones utilizing exertion "provided to Russia by the existent authorities successful Iran" were besides striking Ukraine.

Supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran stitchery successful Paris aft French authorities banned a rally against repression and executions successful Iran, June 20, 2026. (National Council of Resistance of Iran)

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"Like you, I cognize precise good what it means to beryllium attacked and killed and destroyed by the authorities that presently holds its grip implicit the radical of Iran," Kuleba said.

The French authorities did not instantly respond to a Fox News Digital petition for comment.