ReutersThe exiled son of Iran’s last shah has urged the world to help protesters topple Iran’s government, saying he is confident “the Islamic Republic will fall.”
US opposition leader Reza Pahlavi has called on the world to target Iran’s Revolutionary Guard leadership. He said this would “facilitate our mission and prevent further loss of life.”
According to a human rights group, more than 2,500 protesters have been killed since protests that began on December 28 over economic issues turned into protests calling for an end to the rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
The Iranian government called the protests a “riot” supported by Iran’s enemies.
Pahlavi has emerged as a key figure in Iran’s divided opposition and has previously called on Iranians to expand their protests.
But protesters have faced lethal force from authorities, with internet and telecommunications services almost completely cut off.
US President Donald Trump earlier this week warned Iran’s government not to kill protesters, telling them “help is coming soon.”
In an interview with CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. media partner, Trump said the United States would take “very strong action” if Iran executed protesters.
He later said he was told “the killings have stopped” but did not rule out military action against the country.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament warned that Israeli and American troops, as well as shipping centers in the region, would all be legitimate targets if the United States attacked.
The United States and Britain have reduced personnel at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, with officials telling CBS News it was a “precautionary measure.”
Prime Minister Pahlavi said at a news conference in Washington on Friday that some in Iran’s security services had refused to participate in the crackdown and claimed Iranian authorities had brought in fighters from foreign militias to quell the protests.
He urged the world to target Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and command and control their infrastructure, calling for “surgical strikes.”
He also called on world powers to exert economic pressure, expel Iranian diplomats, demand the release of all political prisoners and deploy satellite internet Starlink and other secure communications to allow connectivity in Iran.
“The regime will fall with or without world help,” Pahlavi said. “If the world turned words into actions, it would collapse faster and more lives would be saved.”
He also pledged to return to Iran and planned to create a new constitution for the country.
When asked about Iran’s future leadership, Pahlavi said, “The decision is up to the Iranian people.”
He said he believes he can lead and has the support of the Iranian people. “I’m trying to help them free themselves,” he said.
Pahlavi said he supports a governance program based on Iran’s territorial integrity, separation of religion and state, individual freedoms and the right of the Iranian people to decide what form of democratic government they want.
Pahlavi’s father, the last king of Iran, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and a devout Shiite Muslim regime took power.
The current wave of protests began after shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike over rising costs of living and the depreciating currency.
They quickly spread across the country, turning against Iran’s clerical establishment, especially Khamenei. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown this year.”
At least 2,595 protesters have been killed since the unrest began, including 17 children, 164 security forces or government officials and 21 uninvolved civilians, according to the US-based Human Rights Defenders News Agency (HRANA).
Another 22,104 protesters reported being arrested.
The Iranian government has implemented an internet blockade since January 8, and authorities have strengthened their crackdown on protests.
Most international media outlets, including the BBC, are also unable to report from inside Iran, making it difficult to obtain and verify information.
