TEHRAN – Among younger generations in Iran, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) is largely unknown. For those in their teens and twenties, social media is a primary source of information, where influencers, celebrities, and brands often dominate the landscape, and an aging group of terrorists – many now well into their 60s and 70s – hold little appeal. 

In contrast, if you ask those who remember the 1980s about the MEK, they will be able to tell you a lot about the group. They'll tell you how its members skinned people alive, how they aided Saddam Hussein’s full-scale invasion of their own country, and how they have the blood of over 18,000 Iranians on their hands. 

A resolution proposed by 151 American lawmakers on Wednesday introduces a very different view of the MEK. The bill, which expresses support for the establishment of a "democratic, secular and non-nuclear" government in Iran, presents the group – designated by Washington as a terrorist organization until 2012 – as a "resistance” movement. It says the MEK will give the Iranian people “freedom” and end the Islamic Republic’s “warmongering” in West Asia. 

MEK’s emergence and pivot towards terrorism  

Before the Islamic Revolution, the MEK was among the lesser-known anti-Shah groups. Their main activities began after the Shah was toppled, and when their ringleader Masoud Rajavi (reportedly dead since 2003) began dreaming of a rise to power. He initially nominated himself for the 1980 presidential election but later withdrew. Subsequently, he ran for a seat in the Iranian Parliament but was unsuccessful, ultimately leaving Tehran for Paris with Abolhassan Banisadr. Banisadr, Iran's first president after the Islamic Revolution, began collaborating with the CIA to destabilize Iran following his impeachment in 1981.

The MEK's terrorist and treacherous activities peaked after Rajavi's departure from Iran. Its members frequently bombed gatherings, resulting in the deaths of civilians and officials nationwide. Following mass arrests of MEK agents by Iranian authorities, most fled to Iraq, where they resided in camps and aided Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted until 1988.

The group remained in Iraq for roughly two decades, continuing their terrorist activities inside Iran from that location until their expulsion during Nouri al-Maliki's administration. In 2016, the MEK established new camps in Albania after the European country agreed to host at least 3,000 of its members.

However, in June 2023, Albanian police raided the organization's camp due to its involvement in "terror and cyber-attacks" against foreign institutions. One member was killed, and dozens were injured during the operation. The current ringleader, Maryam Rajavi, has been banned from entering Albania and currently resides in France.

Iran must be weakened, that’s all that matters to the U.S.  

Beyond terrorist attacks, older generations of Iranians remember the MEK for its ruthless torture of civilians and soldiers taken captive when the group still maintained a large presence within Iran. Ever since their support for Saddam Hussein, they have also been considered a symbol of treachery. Therefore, it is perhaps unsurprising that the MEK would once again team up with a foreign government that has sanctioned Iranians for decades and is funding groups like Daesh and Jaish-al-Zulm, which have killed dozens of Iranian civilians in the past few years.

Reports suggest that since relocating to Albania, the MEK has primarily assisted the U.S. in carrying out sabotage attacks inside Iran. However, the group's history of violence and cruelty also makes it a potentially valuable asset for destabilizing the country should the central government in Iran weaken. 

For the United States, the end often justifies the means. Washington seeks to weaken Tehran, curtailing its military capabilities and severing its ties with Arab groups opposing American imperialism and Israeli occupation. Ideally, the U.S. envisions a fragmented Iran plagued by unrest and insecurity. To achieve this, even a terrorist group can be portrayed as a "resistance" movement.

In their proposed resolution on Wednesday, American representatives said they will continue to back debilitating sanctions against Iran, while supporting groups like the MEK, adding that the terror organization’s plans align with “democratic values” and ensure a “peaceful” future for the country. The lawmakers did not explain how terrorist attacks, torture, and treachery could serve democracy and peace.