Prince Pahlavi: Ali Khamenei came out of hiding, afraid of the waves of national uprising

Referring to the spread of nationwide protests in Iran, Prince Reza Pahlavi said: "Ali Khamenei, afraid of the waves of national uprising, has come out of hiding and is threatening the Iranian nation."

A week has passed since the nationwide protests that began in Tehran's Grand Bazaar and spread to various cities. Prince Pahlavi, by issuing various messages addressed to the Iranian people, announced his and other countries' support for this nationwide uprising and encouraged the people to stand firm.

He also said in his new message in the past few hours to Ali Khamenei: "Khamenei! We, the Iranian nation, will pull you down from your shaky chair like Zahhak and free our Iran from you and your regime."

He also added to the military and law enforcement forces: "Do not tie your fate to the sinking ship of the Islamic Republic. Join the nation and separate yourself from the corrupt system. Your weapons are for defending the nation, not suppressing them. Those who fire bullets at people should be sure that they will be identified and punished."

The prince issued a new message to the people of Iran, saying: "Compatriots, do not abandon the streets; expand your presence. The world sees your resistance and courage and supports you. My words are especially to the people of Tehran, who, with their courage, have begun a new round of national uprising."

The message also states: "The Islamic Republic is trying to prevent gatherings from forming in Tehran because it knows very well that occupying the streets of Tehran and other metropolises will seriously accelerate the process of its downfall."
According to Reza Pahlavi, there is only one way to overcome the regime's repression: the simultaneous presence of millions of people throughout the city, and at the same time creating traffic jams on key axes and main roads. He says: "With the formation of a flood of millions of people, the regime's repressive forces will not be able to resist."

In messages published yesterday, January 2 and today, January 3, 2026, Prince Pahlavi once again emphasized the importance of the presence of millions on the streets, especially in Tehran, and said that the Islamic Republic regime is trying to prevent gatherings because it knows that occupying the streets will accelerate its downfall. He added: "Go to the nearest street in your neighborhood and move hand in hand towards the central streets of the city."

This statement shows that the opposition leader emphasizes practical, step-by-step leadership of the protests, not just general slogans.

In his message, Reza Pahlavi also mentioned the victims of the protests and considered them the true heroes of Iran, echoing the popular slogans against security repression.

According to published reports, nationwide protests have continued in more than 100 cities and provinces of Iran over the past few days, and videos posted on social media indicate casualties, arrests, and repression of people by security forces.

In his most recent official remarks, Ali Khamenei said that the demonstrations should be contained “in their place” and called critics and protesters “troublemakers.” Analysts believe that this type of response from the regime’s highest official is a sign of deep concern about a widespread national uprising, which Reza Pahlavi and other opponents have also called for.

Reza Pahlavi structured his message around several key axes:

• The continuation of the national uprising and the presence of millions in the streets to accelerate the fall of the regime.
• Calling on military and security forces to secede from the Islamic Republic and join the people.
• Emphasis on the role of the people of Tehran and other cities in shaping political change.
• Supporting the fallen and honoring them as national heroes.

These messages show that he is actively trying to assume the intellectual and practical leadership of the popular movement at this critical stage of Iran's developments.