Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, urged European governments not to appease Iran’s leadership and said continuing negotiations would only preserve the existing power structure.
“If you think you can make peace with this regime, you are very mistaken,” he said during a news conference in Berlin on Thursday. “It will never have stability, even if a weakened version of this system survives.”
The 65-year-old said Europe faces “a choice between a dying regime that destroys us all and an independent Iran.”
“Governance has never been as fragile as it is now,” he said. “It’s a wounded animal.”
Pahlavi said that Iran’s current leaders were not pragmatists or reformers, they were simply “different faces of one regime”.
The former crown prince has put himself forward as someone who could lead a democratic transition if Iran’s leadership is overthrown.
Why is it Reza? pahlavi in germany?
Pahlavi, viewed by Iranian monarchists as the leader of Iran’s opposition, is in Germany to drum up support for his campaign for political change in Iran.
He is in the capital as a private person, but will hold political talks. Pahlavi is expected to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz with Armin Laschet, a lawmaker from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), as well as foreign policy figures from other parties. But he had no plans to meet any member of the government.
When asked why, Foreign Minister Johann Waddefull said that Pahlavi was coming to Germany as a private individual and was “also engaging in political discussions”, but added that “it was not the role of the federal government to have such conversations.”
Pahlavi called it “disgraceful” during Thursday’s press conference. He said that democratic governments should “talk to those who are the voice of the voiceless,” and accused Berlin of allowing itself to be blackmailed by the regime in Tehran.
Hundreds of Pahlavi supporters gathered in Berlin to demonstrate for regime change in Iran. Counter-protests also took place and after leaving the press conference a tomato was thrown at Pahlavi, causing injury.
Could Pahlavi be the next leader of Iran?
Laschet, chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign policy committee, defended his decision to negotiate with Pahlavi, saying he was “confident” that Pahlavi “can be a person who can lead change.”
“He is the only known face of the opposition. And for many Iranians, he is the alternative to the mullah regime at the moment,” the CDU politician told public broadcaster ARD. “He…sees himself as a transitional figure, not as a permanent ruler, not as a new shah.”
If “the regime had really fallen,” Laschet said, “many people could have rallied behind it.”
Pahlavi himself said he believed he had the support of Iranians and that millions of people shouted his name in the streets. “They have confidence in me,” he said.
However, a change in Iran’s leadership is becoming less likely, as Tehran has shown no signs of backing down after several weeks of US-Israeli attacks and a US naval blockade.
Who is Reza Pahlavi?
Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the US state of Maryland, is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
While he has the support of monarchists, Pahlavi is seen as a controversial figure among Iran’s opposition groups, some of whom reject the idea of a member of the former royal family assuming power. Critics have accused him of lacking democratic legitimacy and being too close to Israel.
It is also not clear how much support he has inside Iran.
Edited by: Rob Turner