According to a video on Channel 4 News, on Saturday June 6, 2026, Professor Sadegh Zibakalam made one of his most direct statements of the interview when he asserted that the Islamic Republic could not be removed by force, either from outside the country or through internal uprising, because a substantial segment of the Iranian population remained genuinely committed to the system and willing to defend it.
The comment came as part of a broader discussion about what realistic paths existed for political change in Iran, and what role the West and particularly the United States could productively play.
Zibakalam positioned himself explicitly against those advocating for regime change, whether through military pressure, sanctions, or support for opposition groups abroad.
In his words, Sadegh Zibakalam said, “I believe that the only path open to us is gradual reform, not the overthrow of the Islamic regime.
Because we simply cannot overthrow the Islamic regime — because there are many people who are ready to die for the Islamic regime. I don’t want to see the end of the Islamic regime because I believe that the only path open to us is gradual reform.” he said.
Zibakalam distinguished his position clearly from that of the Iranian opposition in exile, groups he said were actively hoping for war because they believed conflict would bring about the fall of the government.
He named Iran International and figures such as Reza Pahlavi as among those he believed were pursuing this line, and expressed strong disagreement with their approach.
He argued that every time Iran had attempted a rapid political transformation in its modern history, the result had been regression rather than progress.