Iranian crown prince calls for global action against Khamenei's regime
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is calling for global action to defeat the Islamic Republic's regime. Pahlavi says the regime is "weaker than it has ever been" and the people of Iran are ready to take back their "stolen country."
Pahlavi spoke at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday, highlighting the plight of the Iranian people, calling the country a "nation in chains," and the oppressive nature of the Islamic Republic regime headed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"The Iranian people have endured more than four decades of suffering, yet their spirit remains unbroken," Pahlavi said, becoming visibly emotional. "They are fighting not just for themselves but for the values of freedom, justice, and human dignity."
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince's father, saw his government fall in 1979, forcing his family to flee as Islamists took power. The crown prince lives in exile until this day, unable to return to his home country of Iran.
The strategy for rebuilding Iran that Pahlavi outlined in his speech included pressuring G20 governments to apply "maximum pressure" on the regime, while giving the Iranian people "maximum support."
In his impassioned call to action, Pahlavi spoke about those inside his home country who are fighting to remove the Islamic regime, particularly the Iranian women.
"Iranian women are not just fighting against the forced hijab. Their struggle is not about a piece of cloth. It is about reclaiming their equality and their country," Pahlavi said to the cheering crowd.
Throughout his address, Pahlavi repeatedly expressed his love for Iran and its culture, which he says the current regime is trying to erase.
"We are not just fighting against the Islamic Republic. We are fighting for Iran," Pahlavi said.
Pahlavi also slammed the Islamic Republic's use of embassies and cultural centers to target dissidents abroad. This tactic was thrust into the spotlight with the regime's alleged targeting of President Donald Trump and its plot to kill New York-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, a fierce critic of the regime in Teheran.
"Whatever I do, it seems that hurts the Islamic Republic very bad, and that's why they want me dead," Alinejad said during an appearance on "The Story" in November 2024. "I don't want to die. I want to fight against tyranny. I want to fight against this regime, and I want to be alive to see the end of this regime."
Upon Trump's inauguration, Pahlavi wrote a letter to the president asking him to facilitate what he calls the "Cyrus Accords." Pahlavi believes Trump can "transform the Middle East and the world" through a new agreement similar to the Abraham Accords, except the Cyrus Accords would include a "free Iran."
The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, where Pahlavi spoke on Tuesday, is held annually around the time of the UN Human Rights Council session. Dissidents, activists and more are given a platform at the summit to speak against human rights abuses and undemocratic practices taking place across the globe.
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