National Council of Iran


The National Council of Iran, officially the
National Council of Iran for Free Elections, is a loosely based umbrella group of the exiled opposition to Iran's Islamic Republic government. It serves as Reza Pahlavi's government in exile in order to either reclaim the former throne or as the new president of Iran after overthrowing the current government.
The "self-styled" National Council claims to have gathered "tens of thousands of pro-democracy proponents from both inside and outside Iran." It also claims to represent religious and ethnic minorities. According to Kenneth Katzman, the group which was established with over 30 groups has "suffered defections and its activity level appears minimal".