Meeting of a U.S. Senate Delegation with Maryam Rajavi in Albania

Three U.S. senators visited the location of several members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization in Tirana, Albania, and met with Maryam Rajavi, a senior leader of the organization. In a statement released regarding this meeting, the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization stated that discussions were held about what they described as 'solutions to end the regional crisis and democratic change in Iran.' The statement noted that the senators welcomed the safe transfer of Mujahedin-e Khalq members from Iraq to Albania and wished them 'success in establishing democracy and human rights in Iran.' The last group of Mujahedin-e Khalq members, who were residing in the 'Liberty' camp in Iraq, was transferred to Albania last month, marking the end of their official presence in Iraq after three decades. A large group of Mujahedin-e Khalq members lived in a military base known as Camp Ashraf in Iraq. However, these forces were relocated to the Liberty base near Baghdad and ultimately to Albania following a deadline set by Iraqi officials and an agreement with the United States. During the meeting with the U.S. senators, Rajavi welcomed what the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization described as the 'firm positions' of U.S. lawmakers against the Iranian regime and new sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian government officials. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, paved the way for sanctions against the IRGC by signing a congressional bill on August 1, which imposed sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. These sanctions have faced backlash from the Iranian government and officials, who accuse the U.S. of violating the 'spirit' of the JCPOA. Similar accusations have been made by Washington officials against Iran due to missile tests and other issues. Senator Roy Blunt, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, led this delegation, accompanied by senior Republican Senator John Cornyn from Texas and Senator Thom Tillis, another Republican member. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization a terrorist group. The group's removal from the list of terrorist organizations by Western countries in recent years has also faced strong reactions from Tehran. Iran has criticized the gatherings of this organization in some European countries and meetings between American politicians and lawmakers with them. On the other hand, the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization has called the terrorist accusations 'incorrect' and stated that their removal from terrorist lists would 'change the balance of power.' The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization is considered one of the opposition groups against the Islamic Republic, which resorted to armed struggle against it in the 1980s; during the Iran-Iraq War, the group's forces were stationed at Camp Ashraf under the support of Saddam Hussein. The Islamic Republic holds this group responsible for many bombings and assassinations during the 1980s. During that decade, many opponents of the Islamic Republic within the country, including supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, were killed during mass executions, which themselves faced widespread criticism.