Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled ‘crown prince', offers to lead as interim head, urges global support to oust Khamenei

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Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, on Monday said that he is ready to serve as interim leader of Iran if the current regime is overthrown, urging Western governments to fully support regime change efforts, according to a report read more
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, on Monday said that he is ready to serve as interim leader of Iran if the current regime is overthrown, urging Western governments to fully support regime change efforts.
In an interview with Politico in Paris, Pahlavi — referred to by supporters as the 'Crown Prince of Iran' — appealed to the international community to help the Iranian people oust Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dismantle the country's theocratic system.
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Pahlavi said that while military action may be needed to neutralise the regime's security apparatus, international support must also focus on practical measures including enhancing communication tools for opposition groups, improving internet access inside Iran, and backing for mass strikes, added the report.
He extended an offer of amnesty to individuals within the state apparatus who choose to defect and support efforts to dismantle the regime, on the condition that they 'commit now to join with the people.'
Pahlavi also revealed that a new 'secure platform' is being established to allow dissidents and internal opponents to coordinate their efforts in overthrowing the current regime and paving the way for a 'free and democratic' Iran.
'I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road of peace,' Politico quoted Pahlavi as saying at a press conference earlier on Monday.
'We are proud, ancient and resilient people … This is our moment. I am with you. Let us build this new Iran together,' he added.
Pahlavi, 64, has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled Iran's monarchy. While many opposition figures reject a return to royal rule, citing the shah's repressive security forces, Pahlavi still commands strong support among monarchists inside and outside Iran.
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A longtime advocate for regime change, he believes the current moment presents the best opportunity yet.
Years of international sanctions and economic mismanagement have pushed many of Iran's 90 million citizens into hardship. But it is Israel's ongoing military campaign, joined by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, that Pahlavi says has created a real opening for change.
While regime change is not an official war aim either for Israel or for the US, the mood may be shifting in favour of forcing Khamenei from power.
Last night, US President Donald Trump posted on social media: 'It's not politically correct to use the term 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime Change??? MIGA!!!'
Pahlavi told Politico that targeted military strikes, particularly against senior regime figures and symbolic sites like Tehran's Evin Prison, known for holding political dissidents, are boosting public confidence that the regime can be defeated.
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'The final element of change is the people rising up, knowing all the elements of regime repression are decimated or eliminated,' he said. 'This specific targeting demonstrates that the war is not against the people but against the regime, which expedites its collapse but also offers the people a real chance this time to be successful.'
Pahlavi said ongoing military action is pushing Khamenei's regime to the brink of collapse and that 'the odds are very good' it could fall by the end of the year.
He urged world leaders, especially those attending this week's Nato summit, to firmly support regime change and stop offering Tehran 'a lifeline.'
'They have yet to hear the world say 'we are not going to throw another lifeline to the regime'. That's my key message to world leaders right now,' he told Politico.
Pahlavi criticised European calls for 'de-escalation' and renewed talks, saying diplomacy with the current regime is pointless.
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'To think that this regime will ever become reasonable is wrong,' he said. 'Negotiations are futile because this regime has proven time and again it will never change its behavior.'
Calling for investment in the Iranian people instead, he added: 'It's time that we invest in the Iranian people as your guarantee of an authority that will guarantee peace for you, security for the world and most importantly liberty for my own country.'
Looking ahead, Pahlavi promised leniency for most of the military and civil bureaucracy if they defect now.
'There will be very few left from the remnants of the top … but the majority should be part of that process,' he said. 'I will be calling first and foremost on those who have guns in their hands to be there not as a menace to society but as a protector of law and order and stability,' he said.
He proposed a constitutional conference to draft a new system of government, stressing: 'Democratic options should be on the table. I'm not going to be the one to decide that. My role however is to make sure that no voice is left behind.'
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Despite the regime's vulnerability, Pahlavi faces challenges. Iran's opposition remains fragmented, and the long-term impact of US-Israeli strikes on public sentiment is unclear. Many Iranians, for now, are focused on survival amid intensifying air raids.
With inputs from agencies