Shah’s son says Iranian power will eventually 'fall'

The son of Iran’s former shah, who says he is ready to lead a democratic transition in his country, declared Friday that he is convinced the Islamic Republic will fall in the face of mass protests and called for “surgical strikes” against the Revolutionary Guards.

“The Islamic Republic will fall. It’s not a question of if, but when,” Reza Pahlavi said at a press conference in Washington. “This regime is at the end of its rope; it is on the verge of collapse.”

In a social media post, he called on Iranians to return to the streets on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. local time “in anger and protest.” Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, said he is ready to lead a democratic transition in Iran, claiming to have developed “a plan for the first 100 days after the fall of the regime, as well as for the long-term reconstruction and stabilization of our country.” He also promised normalization with Israel.

“I will return to Iran,” he said, adding that he considers himself “the only one who can guarantee a stable transition.” “Today, as my compatriots call on me to take the reins, I reaffirm the commitment I have made all my life by leading the movement that will allow us to take back our country from the anti-Iranian hostile forces occupying it and killing its children,” he added.

Heir to the Iranian throne, Reza Pahlavi, 65, has lived in exile in the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew his father. He has emerged as a rallying figure in the protest movement shaking the country. His name has reappeared in demonstrations since December 28, the start of the protests, with the chant “Pahlavi bar migarde!” (“Pahlavi will return!”).

The former crown prince, who has long insisted he does not seek to restore the monarchy, remains a divisive figure, even within Iran’s fractured opposition. His father’s reign, under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was marked by torture, executions, and the imprisonment of political opponents.

The protest movement has so far been crushed by violent repression that has caused thousands of deaths, according to experts and NGOs, following some of the largest demonstrations since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

Appeal to Macron

“This is no longer just repression, but a foreign occupation dressed in clerical robes,” Pahlavi said. He called on the international community to “protect the Iranian people by weakening the repressive capacity of the regime,” notably through “surgical strikes” targeting leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and their command-and-control infrastructure.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene against the deadly repression of protesters, assuring that “help is on the way.” However, he has so far refrained from taking action, even thanking Iranian authorities on Friday for canceling “all the scheduled executions” of protesters. “I greatly respect the fact that all the planned executions, which were to take place yesterday (more than 800), were canceled by the leaders of Iran. Thank you!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Asked about Trump’s position, Pahlavi replied: “I believe President Trump is a man of his word and that he will eventually stand with the Iranian people, as he has said.”

Turning to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose response to the repression has been criticized as insufficient by some, Pahlavi urged him to send “a clear message” of support to Iranians. “The choice is very simple, and I advise President Macron, if I may, to listen to the call of millions of Iranians,” he said.