MEK’s Transition from Armed Resistance to Political Organization
After the end of the Iran-Iraq War, the MEK continued to face severe repression from the Iranian government. Following Operation Mersad, Persian officials carried out mass executions of MEK supporters who were imprisoned in Iran. Thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were affiliated with the MEK, were executed during the summer of 1988 in what has become known as one of the darkest chapters in modern Iranian history.
By 2003, the MEK’s military wing had been disarmed as part of a ceasefire agreement with the United States following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Since then, the MEK has transitioned from an armed resistance group to a political organization. Their headquarters was eventually moved to Albania, where they continue to operate today, though the group has largely focused on political advocacy rather than military operations.