Former White House Official Says Fall of Iran’s Clerical Establishment “Historically Inevitable”

By Amr Gohar

Washington / Paris ,  Linda Chavez, former White House Director of Public Liaison, declared that the fall of Iran’s ruling clerical system has become “a historical inevitability,” arguing that a democratic alternative is prepared to guide the country through a transitional phase.

Speaking during a gathering of Iranian opposition supporters, Chavez said this year marks a decisive turning point.

“After 15 years of continuous participation in the Iranian Resistance’s programs, I can say that this year is entirely different,” she stated. “We are no longer asking whether the regime will fall. We know change is inevitable. The only question remaining is when and how.”

A Decisive Moment

Chavez pointed to successive waves of unrest in Iran — from the 2009 Green Movement to the nationwide protests of 2019 and the 2022 demonstrations following the death of a young woman in police custody — as evidence of mounting public anger.

She said protests have spread across all 31 provinces, reflecting deep frustration with political repression and economic hardship.

“The regime’s response has consistently been suppression, arrests, and lethal force,” Chavez said, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “Yet the resistance did not emerge overnight. It is the result of decades of organization.”

Backing the Organized Opposition

Chavez strongly endorsed the Iranian opposition movement led by Maryam Rajavi, describing it as the only structured democratic alternative capable of leading post-regime Iran.

She praised Rajavi’s “Ten-Point Plan,” which advocates for democratic governance, gender equality, separation of religion and state, abolition of the death penalty, and a free-market economy.

“While some in Washington speak of reformists within the system or suggest leaders who have lived abroad for decades, we ask what concrete democratic movement they have built,” Chavez said. “The Iranian Resistance is organized, disciplined, and prepared.”

Debate in Washington

Chavez’s remarks come amid continued debate in Washington over U.S. policy toward Tehran. Some policymakers argue for diplomatic engagement with elements inside the Islamic Republic, while others believe regime change is inevitable due to internal pressures.

Chavez emphasized that Iranians themselves must determine their country’s future.

“It is not the role of Americans or foreigners to choose Iran’s next leadership,” she said. “That responsibility belongs solely to the Iranian people.”

She concluded with a symbolic statement: “I am confident that next year we will not gather in Paris — we will celebrate in a free Tehran.”