 "Protestors burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in solidarity with Iran's Uprising on Whitehall in central London to protest against the Iranian regime's crackdown. The death toll keeps mounting -- more than 2,500 demonstrators have been killed so far in Iran. AFP")
Iran’s exiled former Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, said on Friday that sustained nationwide protests would bring down the Islamic republic , pressing the international community to act as US President Donald Trump continues to hold off on intervening in the unrest.
Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s late shah, lives in exile in the Washington area and has positioned himself as a leader of the opposition as the cleric-run state suppresses widespread demonstrations .
“The Islamic republic will fall – not if, but when,” Pahlavi told a news conference in Washington.
Appeal for US involvement
Protests began in late December, driven by public anger over Iran’s severe economic problems. Since then, Pahlavi has repeatedly called for US intervention.
Trump had earlier warned Iran that military action would follow if protesters were killed. He also encouraged Iranians to take over state institutions, saying, “Help is on the way.”
Two weeks after first suggesting assistance, Trump has not acted. During that time, security forces have killed at least 3,428 protesters, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights. Other estimates put the toll at more than 5,000 or possibly as high as 20,000.
Trump highlights decline in protests
Trump has instead pointed to what he described as an end to the killing of protesters, as the size of demonstrations has declined in recent days.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said Iran had called off executions of hundreds of protesters and told the clerical state, “Thank you!”
Calls for renewed demonstrations
Pahlavi also used social media on Friday, posting on X and Instagram to urge Iranians nationwide to “raise your voices in anger and protest with our national slogans” at 8:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Seeking to resonate with Trump, Pahlavi urged him not to follow the approach of Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, who negotiated with Tehran.
“I believe that President Trump is a man of his word and ultimately he will stand with the Iranian people as he has said,” Pahlavi said when asked whether Trump had given false hope.
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View All“Iranian people are taking decisive actions on the ground. It is now time for the international community to join them fully.”
Gulf Arab monarchies, despite frequent tensions with Iran, have urged Trump to proceed cautiously.
Call for ‘surgical’ action
Pahlavi called for targeting the command structure of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, which he described as central to “instituting terror at home or terrorism abroad.”
“I’m calling for a surgical strike,” said Pahlavi, who controversially supported Israel’s military campaign on Iran in June.
He also urged countries to expel Iranian diplomats and assist in restoring internet access, which has been severely disrupted.
Many protesters have chanted Pahlavi’s name. His father, a pro-Western ruler, fled Iran in 1979 during the Islamic revolution.
While Iran’s last shah projected a glamorous international image marked by wealth and luxury, critics say domestic repression, the brutality of the secret police and limited economic mobility fuelled political opposition.
Asked about repression under his father’s rule, Pahlavi said, “I let historians write history. I’m here to make history.”
Vision for a future Iran
Pahlavi, 65, said he aims to serve as a figurehead overseeing a transition to a secular democracy, with a popular referendum to decide the next system of government.
He faces critics who fear a return of the monarchy and argue that change should be led by opposition groups inside Iran.
“I reaffirm my lifelong pledge to lead the movement that will take back our country from the anti-Iranian hostile force that occupies it and kills its children,” Pahlavi said.
“I will return to Iran.”
Pahlavi said a new Iran would improve relations with long-standing adversaries, the United States and Israel, and integrate into the global economy.
He said Iran would swiftly normalise ties with Israel through a proposed “Cyrus Accord,” referencing Cyrus the Great, the Persian emperor who freed Jews from Babylonian captivity.
“Iran today should have been the next South Korea of the Middle East,” he said. “Today we have become North Korea.”