Iranian Policy Analyst Says Provisional Government Needed as Opposition Pushes for Democratic Transition

By Amr Gohar

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad, an Iranian policy analyst and board member of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC), said opposition groups believe Iran has entered a decisive moment that could determine the country’s political future.

In a statement released this week, Sepehrrad argued that the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could mark the end of the current political structure known as Velayat-e Faqih, the clerical system that has governed the country since the 1979 revolution.

“What we are witnessing today is a confrontation between the Iranian people and the regime’s machinery of repression,” Sepehrrad said. “Many Iranians believe the political era defined by this system has reached its final stage.”

Sepehrrad expressed support for a proposal by Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), to establish a provisional government to oversee a political transition.

According to Sepehrrad, the proposed transitional authority would manage the country for a limited period in order to prepare for elections and transfer political power to representatives chosen by the Iranian people.

“The central mission of the provisional government would be to ensure that sovereignty ultimately returns to the Iranian people through free and fair elections,” she said.

Sepehrrad also reiterated the opposition movement’s slogan rejecting both the former monarchy and the current clerical establishment, arguing that many Iranians seek a democratic republic rather than a return to earlier political systems.

She said groups associated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and other opposition networks are playing a role in organizing resistance to the current government inside the country.

Sepehrrad pointed to the 10-Point Plan proposed by Rajavi as a framework for Iran’s political future. The plan calls for a democratic system based on the separation of religion and state, protection of human rights, gender equality, and a non-nuclear policy.

She added that supporters of the opposition say the plan has drawn attention from lawmakers and political figures in the United States and Europe, though the Iranian government has strongly rejected the legitimacy of the opposition groups.

Sepehrrad concluded that opposition activists believe Iran may be approaching a historic turning point.

“The Iranian people are seeking to restore their sovereignty and build a democratic republic,” she said. “Many believe the coming period will determine the country’s path for generations.”