Iranian Community Urges President Trump To 'Stay The Course'

Iranian New Zealanders will rally in Wellington and Auckland in front of the U.S. diplomatic missions, following a call by opposition leader, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. The call urges President Trump to stay the course in supporting the Iranian people's efforts to bring about political change and end the Islamic Republic regime.

In the context of the current premature ceasefire and ongoing negotiations - which grant the Islamic Republic regime time to rebuild its weakened military capacity- we reject any outcome that keeps the regime in power, whether under existing or reconfigured military leadership. Such an outcome would shift the burden back onto Iranian civilians, who would once again face mass repression in their efforts to achieve real political change.

Over the past three months, the regime has executed at least 648 people, including more than 300 in January alone. At least seven individuals have been executed in connection with the recent protests, bringing the total number of political prisoners executed in the past month to 14. Thousands more remain at risk of execution and torture. These actions are accompanied by sham trials, expanded surveillance, and violent suppression of dissent, including credible reports of protesters being shot.

The regime has further reinforced its control through the deployment of militia and semi-militia forces, including groups brought from Iraq and Afghanistan. These forces are used to suppress uprisings, instil fear among civilians, and project strength despite significant internal losses, including senior leadership and thousands of personnel. The trajectory is clear: repression is intensifying, not moderating.

Since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli strikes, the regime has imposed a nationwide internet blackout, affecting more than 90million people. This follows a well-established pattern used during previous uprisings to isolate citizens, control information, and suppress evidence of violence. Controlling how the world perceives events inside Iran is a key objective, allowing the regime to spread its own propaganda while silencing independent voices. Only a small, state-approved network, including IRGC personnel and affiliated media - retains access.

The Iranian people are effectively being held hostage. After decades of protest and resistance, the country has reached a critical juncture. Alongside ongoing repression, severe environmental mismanagement, drought, depletion of water resources, and extreme water stress - combined with militarisation - have pushed Iran toward ecological collapse, threatening to make parts of the country unliveable within the coming years.

Call to Action

Participants will call on the United States to:

• Stay the course by sustaining actions aimed at eliminating the operational capacity of the regime's military and security structures, particularly militia networks operating inside Iran.
• Support access to free information by assisting Iranians in overcoming the imposed digital blackout.
• Explicitly avoid and prohibit strikes on vital civilian infrastructure—including energy systems, water networks, telecommunications, and transport—as their destruction would disproportionately harm civilians, undermine any future recovery, and weaken the very population whose empowerment is essential for political change.
• Recognise Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the leader chosen by a large share of Iranians.
• Affirm that sustainable political change must be led by the Iranian people through free and fair elections, and reject any negotiated outcomes that preserves this regime in power and disregards the will of the people.
• Pressure for the release of political prisoners and an immediate halt to political executions.

Event Details

Wellington
Embassy of the United States
29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
Saturday, 11 April

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