MEK
Iranian opposition group in exile; designated terrorist by Iran, based in Albania since 2016.
Last refreshed: 26 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is the MEK a credible intelligence source on Iran, or does Tehran use it as a convenient scapegoat?
Timeline for MEK
Mentioned in: Iran executes Shirzadi Fakhr at dawn
Iran Conflict 2026- What is the MEK and why does Iran consider it a terrorist group?
- The MEK is an Iranian opposition organisation that broke with Khomeini after 1979 and was declared a terrorist group by Iran. It fought alongside Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq War, which makes it deeply unpopular inside Iran despite its anti-regime stance.
- Is the MEK still listed as a terrorist organisation by the US?
- No. The US State Department removed the MEK from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list in 2012 after a lobbying campaign. The EU had already removed it in 2009.Source: US State Department
- Where is the MEK based now and who leads it?
- The MEK has been headquartered at Camp Ashraf 3 near Tirana, Albania since 2016. It is led by Maryam Rajavi, who heads its political front the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
- How is the MEK connected to Israel in the 2026 Iran war?
- Iran's judiciary has accused MEK operatives of cooperating with Israeli intelligence to identify and relay targeting information for strikes on IRGC and nuclear facilities; these claims underpin several 2026 espionage prosecutions including that of Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr.Source: event
Background
The Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), also known as the MKO or PMOI, is an Iranian opposition organisation that began as a left-Islamist guerrilla movement opposing the Shah in the 1970s. After initially supporting the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the MEK broke with Ayatollah Khomeini and was driven into exile following mass arrests and executions. For a decade from 1986 it operated from Iraq under Saddam Hussein's patronage, fighting alongside Iraqi forces in the Iran-Iraq War — a history that makes the group deeply unpopular among most Iranians regardless of their views on the Islamic Republic.
The MEK was removed from the US State Department terrorist designation list in 2012 after a lobbying campaign; it lost EU designation in 2009. It has since repositioned itself as a democratic alternative to the current government, headquartered at Camp Ashraf 3 near Tirana, Albania, following resettlement from Iraq. The organisation is led by Maryam Rajavi, who presents herself as Iran's government-in-exile president-elect.
In the 2026 conflict context, Tehran has accused MEK operatives of working alongside Israeli intelligence to identify and pass targeting information about IRGC and nuclear sites. These claims underpin several wartime espionage prosecutions, including that of Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr. Western intelligence services view the MEK with scepticism: its intelligence on Iranian nuclear sites has proven both accurate and unreliable depending on the source period.