Prince Reza Pahlavi: Before military conflict, people should be allowed to overthrow the regime
Prince Reza Pahlavi said about regime change: "Before military conflict, the people must be allowed to overthrow the regime."
In an exclusive interview with Fox News about a possible Israeli and US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Prince Reza Pahlavi said: "Going directly from failed diplomacy to military conflict would lead to ignoring the most logical and rational option. Unlike this regime, which has always been war-mongering and cannot be a real partner in peace, the Iranian people want friendly relations with their neighbors and the free world. Before we reach more horrific scenarios such as conflict, the Iranian people should be given the opportunity to oust this regime."
He also said in a separate interview with the Sunday Times on the day of the Iran-US talks in Oman about the weakening of the regime and Trump's deal with the Islamic Republic over Iran's nuclear program: "In all these 46 years, the regime has never been as weak as it is today, and we believe that we are on the verge of final freedom and an unprecedented and exceptional opportunity has arisen to realize it."
Stressing that Western support for the Iranian people is vital, Prince Pahlavi rejected any military intervention, adding: "The issue is not just a nuclear deal or military intervention. A better option is to support the Iranian people to achieve democratic change. What we need is regime change so that the warmongers give way to the peacemakers."
Ali Khamenei has no inclination to change course. The regime is unlikely to give in to Trump’s demands. This is not a real estate deal in Lower Manhattan to buy a skyscraper. This regime has proven time and again that it neither can nor will fundamentally change its behavior. Western governments must realize that the hope for freedom, justice, equality, and human rights in the form of a religious dictatorship is nothing more than an illusion. Forty years have been enough time to conclude that this issue cannot be resolved through diplomacy.”
The prince also expressed his agreement with the Trump administration's policy of maximum pressure on Iran, while simultaneously providing maximum support to the protesting people, and continued: "The regime's popularity is at an all-time low. The widespread protests after the murder of Mahsa Amini were violently suppressed, and according to a UN report, at least 901 people were executed last year alone; yet, sporadic protests continue, and nearly a fifth of women in Tehran appear on the streets without wearing the hijab. The regime is trying to intimidate people with repression, but it knows that it can no longer control the protests. Fear has disappeared.
"What is the message of the video of a woman sitting naked on a police car in Tehran? It is that nothing matters to me anymore, either arrest me and torture me or execute me. We have not seen such determination and courage in the last 46 years."
The Sunday Times stated about Reza Pahlavi: "Even Pahlavi's critics admit that he is the only figure who is recognized nationally."
The prince also commented on this: "People know me. Some have celebrated my birthday because a crown prince was born for the country. I was their son then, now I am their father. Even Generation Z calls me father when they text, and that is encouraging to me. This public recognition gives me a moral legitimacy that if I call any military commander or minister or official of any institution and say I am Reza Pahlavi, they will immediately know who they are talking to. Few people have such a position.
"This is a great responsibility, and of course it makes me a target for a regime that has a history of terrorist operations abroad. But I and my companions are ready to sacrifice our lives for this cause. My task today is to, as an honest mediator, bring others together for the internal collapse of this regime. I hope we achieve our goal before the regime has a chance to kill me."
