Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince of Iran, has opened a platform through which members of the Islamic Republic’s government and military can defect from the regime.
The son of Iran’s last shah is escalating his campaign for a populist uprising against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who he claimed is considering an escape amid the onslaught of bombings from Israel and the United States.
“Credible reports indicate that Ali Khamenei’s family — and the families of senior regime officials — are making preparations to flee Iran. The regime is on its last legs, in towns and cities across the country,” Pahlavi said at a press conference in Paris, France, on Monday. “The military is fractured. The people are united. The foundations of this 46-year tyranny are shaking. This is our Berlin wall moment.”
As part of his efforts to aid a “democratic transition,” the prince announced he has opened a secure platform through which government and military officials can contact outside opposition.
“I am establishing a formal channel for military, security, and police personnel to reach out directly to me, my team, and our expanding operation,” Pahlavi explained. “This is a secure platform to efficiently manage the growing volume of inbound communications and requests from those breaking with the regime and seeking to join our movement.”
Following the forced abdication and exile of his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1979, the crown prince has lived in the United States, where he founded and continues to lead a quasi-government in exile called the National Council of Iran.
He is widely seen as the Western powers’ most favored head of state to replace Khamenei in a hypothetical democratized Iran. He has characterized the “end of the Islamic Republic” as the “end of its 46-year war against the Iranian nation.”
Pahlavi affirmed again on Monday that he is not seeking the restoration of the Peacock Throne but wants to lead a transitional government to prepare for democratic elections.
“There is only one way to achieve peace: a secular, democratic Iran. I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road to peace and a democratic transition,” he said. “I do not seek political power, but rather to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice.”
In a previous speech, the prince urged Iranians “not [to] fear the day after the fall of the Islamic Republic,” assuring them that “Iran will not descend into civil war or instability” because his government-in-exile has “a plan for Iran’s future and its flourishing.”
“Step down,” he urged Khamenei on Monday. “And if you do, you will receive a fair trial and due process of law. Which is more than you have ever given any Iranian.”
The Israeli government has not pushed Pahlavi as a replacement for the ayatollah, but his activities following the bombardment of Tehran have been widely covered in the national press.
IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE CALLS FOR ‘NATIONWIDE UPRISING,’ PRESENTS HIMSELF AS TRANSITIONAL LEADER
The Israel Defense Forces named its initial strikes against the regime “Operation Rising Lion” — a reference to the Lion and Sun motif that symbolizes pre-revolution Iran and the Pahlavi dynasty.
A 2022 study by the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran found that hereditary monarchy is an unpopular form of government within the nation, but Pahlavi polled at 39% support to head a future state.
