Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI: International Opposition Leader Facing Questions Over Popularity and Representation in Iran

Maryam Rajavi’s Unpopularity Debate Inside Iran

One of the biggest challenges facing Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI is the question of domestic legitimacy.

Opponents of the NCRI argue that Rajavi has a strong presence among parts of the Iranian opposition abroad but lacks a comparable level of support among the wider population inside Iran.

They claim that many Iranians who oppose the Islamic Republic do not necessarily support the NCRI or the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the organization historically associated with Rajavi.

According to critics, Iran’s opposition landscape is much broader than one organization. Many Iranians have expressed different political preferences, including secular republican movements, reform movements, independent civil society activists, monarchist groups, and other opposition networks.

For this reason, critics argue that Maryam Rajavi cannot automatically be considered the representative of the Iranian people simply because she leads one of the most organized opposition groups abroad.

July 26, 2026 | 9:46 pm