The Prince's clear response to Rajavi; "Iran's steadfastness" against the confiscation of student slogans

Following Maryam Rajavi's claim about universities' support for the People's Mojahedin (MEK), Prince Reza Pahlavi announced a clear and decisive position with a message about Iran's territorial integrity and national unity.

While in recent weeks, Iranian universities have witnessed slogans centered around the name Pahlavi and emphasizing "a united Iran," Maryam Rajavi claimed in a message that students in universities are calling for the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI), a claim that was met with widespread reactions on social media.

Field reports and videos released from student rallies show that a significant portion of the slogans centered around the name of Reza Pahlavi and a return to national identity. Critics say that the attempt to attribute these slogans to the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran is a form of political appropriation of students' demands.

The People's Mojahedin Organization, which was formed in the 1940s with an Islamist-Marxist approach, entered into armed confrontation with the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution. In the 1960s, this organization was responsible for or accused of involvement in a series of assassinations and bombings, including the explosion of the office of the Islamic Republic Party.

The group's cooperation with Saddam Hussein's government during the Iran-Iraq War is one of the most controversial aspects of its history, a collaboration that is seen in the collective memory of a large part of Iranians as a violation of national interests. The organization's long-term deployment of forces at Camp Ashraf in Iraq has also cast a shadow over this image.

Although the organization was listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union for many years, its name was later removed from these lists. However, it continues to face serious distrust in public opinion within Iran.

In her recent message, Maryam Rajavi attempted to portray the university environment as aligned with the People's Mojahedin (MEK). However, many users and student activists, by publishing videos and images of the gatherings, emphasized that the main slogans had a nationalist flavor and that Pahlavi's name was prominent in them.

Critics say such claims could deepen the divide within the ranks of the Islamic Republic's opponents, especially in a situation where convergence around principles such as national unity and democratic transition has become a common demand.

Following these developments, Reza Pahlavi issued a message to the Iranian people in which, without directly mentioning Rajavi, he emphasized the principle of territorial integrity and national unity. The full text of Prince Pahlavi's message is as follows:

"My dear compatriots,

In recent days, several separatist groups, some of which have a history of collaborating with both Khomeini and Saddam, have made absurd and ridiculous claims about Iran's territorial integrity and national unity. As I have repeatedly emphasized, preserving and defending Iran's territorial integrity is an inviolable principle. We will not negotiate with anyone over Iran's territorial integrity and integrity, nor will we compromise on it one bit.

Such claims only give the Islamic Republic, the greatest enemy of the Iranian nation and the country's territorial integrity, an excuse to falsely present itself as a defender of this principle, while this regime has been the main cause of all kinds of discrimination and division in Iran since the first day it came to power.

The territorial integrity of Iran is the red line of our great and united nation. Any individual or group that crosses this red line, or cooperates with those who cross it, will face a decisive response from the informed Iranian nation.

In the coming days and weeks, as the Islamic Republic is completely destroyed and this regime is driven out of the country, we will be more vigilant, steadfast, and diligent than ever in defending Iran's national unity and territorial integrity. By adhering to this fundamental principle, we can expect the Iranian army to fulfill its national-patriotic duty, stand by the nation, and defend Iran against the Islamic Republic and the separatists.

Only in a unified and democratic Iran, under the rule of law, can individual freedoms and equal rights be guaranteed to all citizens, regardless of belief, religion, language, or ethnicity.

"Perseverant Iran"

Reza Pahlavi's message is an attempt to clearly demarcate groups that have a history of collaborating with controversial historical actors. The indirect reference to "collaborating with Khomeini and Saddam" is interpreted by many as a clear allusion to the record of the MEK.

In the current climate where social protests are centered on national identity, territorial integrity, and peaceful transition, any attempt to appropriate public slogans could face a strong public backlash.

What is clear is that the discursive competition between the various currents opposing the Islamic Republic has entered a new phase; a phase in which the historical legitimacy and social base of each group are increasingly under scrutiny.