The exiled Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, released a message on Wednesday to his “compatriots,” the “great nation of Iran.”
Detailing the damage done to the Iranian regime, Pahlavi wrote: “The blows struck against the Islamic Republic in just 40 days are unprecedented, and irreparable for this regime. The elimination of Ali Khamenei, the killer of tens of thousands of brave Iranians, is in itself a historic achievement for our nation. Beyond him, dozens of commanders and key perpetrators of repression in the IRGC, Basij, and the regime’s intelligence apparatus have also been removed. Thousands of repressive forces have been annihilated. The command-and-control structure for repression has been paralyzed and shattered. Military infrastructure—not built to defend Iran, but to export terrorism and instability—has been destroyed. The regime’s financial resources for domestic repression and overseas terrorism have been severely curtailed. The Islamic Republic is more isolated and despised in the region and the world today than ever before.”
“But we knew from the start that the Islamic Republic would not fall merely through the elimination of its command and the weakening of its repressive apparatus via airstrikes. That is why, in every message to you, I emphasized that it is we, the Iranian nation, who must deliver the final blow to this weakened regime and bring it down,” he added, declaring that he is “closely monitoring” the situation in Iran.
“So, I ask you to remain patient, protect yourselves, and, with faith in victory and full readiness, await the decisive moment. In the meantime, I and all our compatriots abroad will, with all our strength, raise your demand—the end of the Islamic Republic—as our rallying cry,” Pahlavi said.
Pahlavi addressed the Iranian Armed Forces in a separate message, urging them to “step forward” and “defend the honor and credibility of Iran’s national army against the Islamic Republic and its foreign mercenaries.”
In March, Pahlavi declared, “The Iranian people have called on me to lead the transition after the regime is gone. I have accepted that responsibility. Part of their great mandate to me is to return our nation and our foreign relations to normalcy. I will do exactly that.”
