For over four decades, the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom has extended beyond the streets and into the realm of international discourse. As the regime in Tehran faces mounting crises of legitimacy, some Western commentators persist in amplifying its narratives—often at the expense of the democratic opposition, particularly the Mojahedin-e Khalq. Michael Rubin’s July 7, 2025 commentary in the Middle East Forum Observer (“Iran’s Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization Is Now Irrelevant. Will It Disband?”) is emblematic: a familiar litany of baseless allegations, largely unchanged since 2006, and repeatedly discredited by credible evidence and respected scholars. Yet, he remains impervious to facts.
One example is Dr. Rubin’s latest claim that the Mujahedin-e Khalq introduced a false defector, Ahmad Behbahani, to CBS’s “60 Minutes.” The New York Times reported on June 16, 2000, that former “60 Minutes” was former President Abol Hassan Bani-Sadr—not the Mojahedin-e Khalq—tipped off CBS; the alleged link to the Mujahedin al-Khalq stems from President Hashemi Rafsanjani and a Ministry of Intelligence statement; the Mujahedin al-Khalq has had no connection to Behbahani whatsoever—indeed, it has never known him.
This episode reflects a broader pattern: recycled accusations go unchallenged, while verifiable facts are cast aside. As Mahatma Gandhi aptly observed, “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation.”
Ali Safavi
National Council of Resistance of Iran, Foreign Affairs Committee
Paris
I thank Mr. Safavi for his reply. Mr. Safavi is correct that I have criticized the Mujahedin-e Khalq on several occasions based on its history, behavior, and opacity. Rather than acknowledge its choices—for example, allying with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the Islamic Revolution, engaging in terrorism including bombings of American companies and assassination of American officials, and then allying with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the Mojahedin-e Khalq, often deflects with ad hominem attacks, some originating with Lyndon LaRouche’s former editor Robert Dreyfuss. Organizations that prioritize ad hominem invective over dispassionate debate do so because they understand they cannot win with facts.
In the case of Behbahani, Safavi ignores that after Khomeini purged Bani-Sadr due to his ties to the Mojehedin-e Khalq; he and the group often worked fist-in-glove, including in the “60 Minutes” exclusive that featured an imposter previously imprisoned for his Mojehedin-e Khalq activities. Safavi focuses on one case, but ignores several others—including fraudulent documents the Mojahedin-e Khalq sought to promote when I worked in the Pentagon. Rather than explain the inconsistency, the Mojehedin-e Khalq and its umbrella National Council of Resistance of Iran seek to deny or silence discussion about it.
If the Mojahedin-e Khalq and its various proxies have nothing to hide, they should welcome transparency rather than criticize it.
The Middle East Forum would welcome the opportunity to have a public, unscripted interview with Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, to discuss the organization’s past and address the many concerns that the group continues to sidestep.
Michael Rubin