Prince Reza Pahlavi: Time to Stand with the Iranian People, Not Negotiate with the Government
Prince Reza Pahlavi, in a note published by French newspaper “Le Figaro,” has warned against fresh attempts to reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic and stressed that any negotiation with Iran’s government, while domestic repression continues, will only lead to the perpetuation of this system and the intensification of human rights violations. He has called on Western governments to support the Iranian people’s demands for freedom and transition to a democratic system, instead of engaging in dialogue with Islamic Republic officials.
In this article, Reza Pahlavi has distinguished between two types of diplomacy, writing: “One type of diplomacy brings peace and protects freedom, while the other type of diplomacy leads to slavery and subjugation.” He has categorized the proposed 14-point agreement with the Islamic Republic in the second category and argued that Iran’s government has repeatedly used negotiations over the past four decades to reduce international pressure and rebuild its security and military capabilities, not to change behavior or implement genuine reforms.
Further, referring to widespread repression of protesters in Iran, he has claimed that the government, instead of being accountable for violence, continues to exploit diplomatic opportunities to consolidate its power. Reza Pahlavi has emphasized: “This regime does not buy peace with negotiations; it buys time. Time to rebuild networks of repression, rearm militias, and prepare for the next wave of crackdowns.”
Prince Reza Pahlavi has also written to Western governments that the policy of the past four decades toward the Islamic Republic has failed to change this government’s behavior, and now the time has come for foreign policy to prioritize supporting the Iranian people rather than continuing to negotiate with the rulers. He has called on governments to recognize the Iranian people’s protest movement, support the documentation of human rights violations, and refrain from granting political concessions to the Islamic Republic as long as repression continues.
In the final section of this note, Pahlavi has expressed confidence that Iran’s future will be shaped by the people of this country and the protest movement, transcending ethnic, religious, and generational divisions, is moving toward a common goal: creating a free, democratic country based on the rule of law. He has concluded by emphasizing: “Iran does not need anyone to negotiate its transition from this system with its executioners. Iran needs finally, plainly and unambiguously, for the movement of its people toward freedom to be recognized.”
