Latest news with #Pahlavi
Edmonton Journal
6 days ago
- General
- Edmonton Journal
Exclusive interview: The exiled Crown Prince of Iran
Article content Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah of Iran, is fast emerging as a potentially pivotal figure in Middle Eastern politics. As the only major Iranian opposition leader to openly advocate for a pro-West and pro-Israel position, Pahlavi's vision for a post-theocratic Iran is not just a matter of internal reform, but a potential sea change for regional stability and global security.
National Post
6 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Exclusive interview: The exiled Crown Prince of Iran
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah of Iran, is fast emerging as a potentially pivotal figure in Middle Eastern politics. As the only major Iranian opposition leader to openly advocate for a pro-West and pro-Israel position, Pahlavi's vision for a post-theocratic Iran is not just a matter of internal reform, but a potential sea change for regional stability and global security. Article content Article content This was underscored by his high-profile visit in April 2023 to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and by his adopting of the Cyrus Accords, which seek to revive the ancient Persian-Judean tradition of peaceful cooperation. Article content Article content Article content Pahlavi's willingness to restore ties with Israel, bring Israeli technology to address Iran's water crisis, and re-establish economic partnerships reminiscent of the Shah's era, would signal a dramatic break from the Islamic Republic's longstanding hostility toward the Jewish state. Article content Pahlavi calls for a coordinated campaign to dismantle the Iranian regime and foster a secular democracy in Iran. He insists that any negotiations with Tehran merely buy time for the regime, and he urges the West — particularly the United States — to support the Iranian people through sustained economic and diplomatic pressure, not appeasement. Article content He says he envisions himself not as a returning monarch, but as a transitional leader who would ensure law and order, and oversee a referendum to let Iranians determine their future. Article content Article content For Canadians and the wider West, Pahlavi's rise matters. A democratic Iran, aligned with the West, could reshape the region's security architecture, curb extremism, and unlock new economic opportunities. Article content Article content This week, Pahlavi returned to Toronto in the first talk coordinated by a Jewish Canadian organization, Tafsik. Dave Gordon interviews the Crown Prince, in this exclusive Canadian interview. Article content We have to bring as much coordination, in a strategy of maximum pressure on the (regime), and combine it with maximum support for the Iranian people. It's really diplomatic efforts at the international level. Invite the G20 countries to be more in line with the aspiration of the people of Iran, and consider that their best course of action would be to be supportive of that change, as opposed to a politics of containment, or, if you will, appeasement, which has failed all this time. Article content Iran should be a South Korea, not a North Korea, with a national government that cares for its people, as opposed to using our national resources to finance its ideological exportation across the world at the expense of the Iranian people.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Exclusive interview: The exiled Crown Prince of Iran
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah of Iran, is fast emerging as a potentially pivotal figure in Middle Eastern politics. As the only major Iranian opposition leader to openly advocate for a pro-West and pro-Israel position, Pahlavi's vision for a post-theocratic Iran is not just a matter of internal reform, but a potential sea change for regional stability and global security. This was underscored by his high-profile visit in April 2023 to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and by his adopting of the Cyrus Accords, which seek to revive the ancient Persian-Judean tradition of peaceful cooperation. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Pahlavi's willingness to restore ties with Israel, bring Israeli technology to address Iran's water crisis, and re-establish economic partnerships reminiscent of the Shah's era, would signal a dramatic break from the Islamic Republic's longstanding hostility toward the Jewish state. Pahlavi calls for a coordinated campaign to dismantle the Iranian regime and foster a secular democracy in Iran. He insists that any negotiations with Tehran merely buy time for the regime, and he urges the West — particularly the United States — to support the Iranian people through sustained economic and diplomatic pressure, not appeasement. He says he envisions himself not as a returning monarch, but as a transitional leader who would ensure law and order, and oversee a referendum to let Iranians determine their future. For Canadians and the wider West, Pahlavi's rise matters. A democratic Iran, aligned with the West, could reshape the region's security architecture, curb extremism, and unlock new economic opportunities. This week, Pahlavi returned to Toronto in the first talk coordinated by a Jewish Canadian organization, Tafsik. Dave Gordon interviews the Crown Prince, in this exclusive Canadian interview. What is the first step to forging change in Iran? We have to bring as much coordination, in a strategy of maximum pressure on the (regime), and combine it with maximum support for the Iranian people. It's really diplomatic efforts at the international level. Invite the G20 countries to be more in line with the aspiration of the people of Iran, and consider that their best course of action would be to be supportive of that change, as opposed to a politics of containment, or, if you will, appeasement, which has failed all this time. Iran should be a South Korea, not a North Korea, with a national government that cares for its people, as opposed to using our national resources to finance its ideological exportation across the world at the expense of the Iranian people. We don't need to have an army come and invade Iran. We have the boots on the ground already — the army of the people who are there. Don't drag us into another Afghanistan or Iraq. What we know it doesn't have to be bloody. All it takes is for refocusing and resetting your overall foreign policy, to say: this regime has been given far too many opportunities. How you would characterize the vision for the new Iran? Iranians know how the country was prospering before the revolution. And all of a sudden, everything came to stop, and completely reversed back in the dark ages. If you look at right now, across from the Persian Gulf, what's happening in Saudi Arabia, in the Emirates — where were they 40 years ago and where they are today? That's right, we can imagine where Iran could have been, as opposed to where we are now. Iran is not where it should be (because) it's just utter corruption and mismanagement by a regime that is there only for its own survival, when they don't have the slightest interest in improving the lives of our fellow citizens. Iran is not just simply an oil rich or gas rich country. It has so many other resources. Imagine tourism just as an industry, and everything that can open up. All of this is hinging upon us, bringing that change. The prospect for that change is not just realizable, but an absolute necessity to redress the situation, because people are paying a very heavy price right now. The economic situation in Iran is at the worst possible level it could ever be, with the devaluation of our currency, the rate of inflation, the poverty level. Today, we're talking about truck drivers going on strike. We're having bakers who simply cannot produce bread because there are electrical blackouts. There's so many infrastructural issues, all easily remedied, provided that we can have that change. Next month, Canada hosts the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. What can these nations do to help, and specifically, Canada? I use the allegory of Star Wars and the evil empire having its storm troopers. That's the IRGC. So since America and Canada have outlawed the IRGC, why doesn't the rest of the G7 follow suit? It is one of the quickest ways to cut off a regime that is extremely repressive. It has a dedicated organ that doesn't even have the name of 'Iran' in its name. It's called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, with the sole mission to support the process of exporting this ideology around the world. Canada has cut off its diplomatic relations for a long time, and I think Europe has to understand that the policy of containment, or appeasement; after 40 years of this, how much more proof do you need that it doesn't work? We can curtail the means that the regime has had, in terms of its repression at home and terrorism abroad, and severely sanction them, and it means prescribing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, even with the G20. The world has to think that there should be an alternative to this regime. For years, we've always been in the mindset of status quo. I want to give you the example, of what happened when, under the Biden administration, the Islamic regime had access to over $200 billion worth of oil revenue they shouldn't have had in the first place, which led to funding more of their proxies. That kind of approach has only led to the regime with more ability to sustain itself and increase its machinery of oppression and terrorism. I don't think October 7 is inconsequential, in terms of being related to the fact that they had the means to do that. The Iranian people aren't antagonistic to other nations. They want to have a great relationship with Israel, with the Arabs, with our neighbourhood, as opposed to a regime that, from day one, has called death to America and death to Israel as a mission. It's not a slogan. It's actually a conviction. You cannot think that you can ever come to terms, or even negotiate in good faith, with someone who wants to kill you. Is there any deal with Iran that could be a good deal? What would it be? This regime discriminates against women, discriminates against religious minorities. A regime that has been, time and again, funding organizations that are hateful. How could you possibly come to terms with this kind of mentality? They will, of course, buy time. That's a tactic they've used successfully. I don't think the nuclear issue can ever be resolved, so long as this regime has their finger on the trigger. I know people in the Israeli government understand that. Even in the Arab countries, they understand that this regime cannot be trusted. The regime cannot change their behaviour. In fact, if they were to change their behaviour, they no longer have any reason to exist. That's why they won't change, because that means the end of their own existence. How many Iranians align with Western values? I think the great majority of them. Western values actually originated in Persia centuries ago. Thomas Jefferson was inspired by Cyrus the Great. Many values that exist right now in the American Bill of Rights and Constitution, comes back to 25 centuries ago, and it originated in Persia when Cyrus the Great liberated the Jews in Babylon as slaves, and helped rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. Can you add perspective to Israel's role as an ally? You see most of the demonstrations outside of Iran and sometimes even in Iran, you will often see that the Israeli flag is flying right next to the Lion and the Sun, the (pre-revolutionary) Iranian flag. That's such a blessing. I don't think any nation's salvation depends on others. Israelis understand this better than anybody else. You only can count on yourselves and nothing else, but life becomes easier when you're not alone, that you have more help. I'm sure this is something that Lech Walesa had to face, Gandhi had to face, Nelson Mandela had to face. And eventually the world catches up. It is critical for people to tell us we're not alone in the fight. What is that strong leadership that could change the face of history? Trump? Depending on how he looks at it. Is he seeing this as a legacy that can change the face of the region? But this is not a real estate deal that he can cut with a regime that is very corrupt, right? So then we can divest from the region, putting America first, which is his slogan, but you cannot say America first and leave a mess behind. You want to have lasting stability, so that people in Riyadh or people in Jerusalem don't have to worry any longer about what Tehran is about to do or not. What do you see as Canada's role? It can take the moral approach of saying, they are on the side of the dissidents and the freedom-seeking people, and will not bow and bend to their oppressors. You are not facilitating our struggle for freedom by trying to approach a policy of appeasement and isolation, which hasn't worked. I think it's a message that Canada can loudly send to Iranians back home. Canada should ask the G20: Why aren't you listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity? Right now you have every time there's a fire, this or that government is dispatching a fire truck to go and put out the fire. But how many times has anyone bothered to go after the arsonist? What do you see as your role for a free Iran? I'm not running for any office or position, but I think that the trust that Iranians have in me puts me in a position that I can play that role for them, and that's exactly what I'm doing. They know my commitments to these democratic values. They actually asked me to intervene, because they think that I'm probably the best person playing that role for them right now. I'm not saying I'm the only one, and I'd like to work with everybody, but that puts me in a prime position to play that role. National Post This interview has been edited for brevity Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
New York Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi reveals Biden betrayal
Iran's exiled would-be leader has slammed former President Joe Biden's reversal of President Trump's sanctions on the regime in Tehran and called on the US to step up its pressure on the Islamist leadership. In an exclusive sit-down with The Post, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi — the eldest son of the former Shah of Iran, the last leader before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 saw him swept from power — said the Iranian people were 'friends' of Americans, despite their regime's funding of terror in the Middle East and further afield. Pahlavi, 64, who fled Iran in his teens, insisted the current Islamic Republic — which he branded a 'warmongering regime that has been the basic root cause of regional instability and exporting radicalism and terrorism' — is weaker today than at any point in its almost five decades in power. Advertisement 'The Iranian people are trying to send this clear message to the outside world that if you want a true partner in peace, it is us who represent the alternative, not this regime which has taken our country hostage in the first place 46 years ago and continues to do that,' Pahlavi said. 6 The exiled crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, wants the US to step up its pressure on the regime in Tehran. NYPost Pahlavi's late father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was forced from power by nationwide protests after public anger grew against his own repressive monarchy and extravagant lifestyle. Advertisement But his son, who was subsequently educated in the States, accused the Islamists who have held the reins of power in Tehran since his father's overthrow of holding back his country. 'Iran, had it not been for this revolution, would have been at least equivalent of a South Korea in the Middle East,' he said. 'Instead, we have become North Korea.' 6 The son of the late Shah of Iran sat down with The Post for an exclusive interview. NYPost He is now calling for Trump to put the 'maximum pressure' on the regime, possibly through crackdowns on its nuclear program or exporting of terrorism, and reverse the appeasement of Biden, who undermined progress made during Trump's first term. Advertisement 'This regime, in its DNA, is simply incompatible with the free world as we know it. Expecting them to change their behavior is a waste of time,' he said. 'We've seen … under the first administration of President Trump, that maximum pressure did pay some dividends,' he said. 'It isolated the regime more. It curtailed their means to be able to finance and fuel their war machine. 6 Pahlavi compared Iran's Islamic regime to an 'octopus' exporting terror around the world. AP 'Unfortunately, that was reversed under the Biden administration, where over $200 billion worth of oil sales that Iran should not have… only helped them to further expand and support their proxies, whether it's the Houthis or it is Hezbollah or Hamas,' he went on. Advertisement He was speaking as police in the UK arrested a fourth Iranian national over a foiled suspected bomb plot on the Israeli embassy in London. Tehran has denied any involvement in the alleged planned attack, but Pahlavi pointed to the incident as a further example of the terror and disorder exported by the regime. 'Every time a fire has been lit, you have dispatched your fire trucks to put out a fire here and there,' he said. 'The problem is that nobody has gone after the arsonists in the first place.' 6 The prince has become a symbol for many anti-regime protesters around the world. Alberto Reyes/Shutterstock He compared the current regime of Ayatollah Khamenei to that of an 'octopus' whose tentacles spread unrest across the Middle East and beyond. 'Now if you look at the tentacles of this octopus, it's been all over the place, but the eye is in Tehran,' he said. Trump has called for harsher sanctions on Iran but has steered clear of suggesting American boots on the ground, something Pahlavi understands would be extremely unpopular with a US public heavily fatigued from conflict in the Middle East. He said there could not be be a repeat of the 'fiasco' of Afghanistan and Iraq in the aftermath of 9/11. Advertisement 'Change in Iran doesn't resemble any of those scenarios, which by the way were terribly mishandled, which gave regime change a bad name, but it's not wrong in concept,' he said. Asked what a regime change in Iran could look like, Pahlavi said, 'There's this rationale that says,' Well, option one is diplomacy, but if option one doesn't work, then option B is striking their facilities or dismantling them.' 'What happened to, 'Let's get the Iranian people a chance to remedy the problem before you have to resort to those measures if you cannot achieve a diplomatic outcome?' That has been the missing element.' 6 Protesters wave the old pre-revolutionary flag of Iran at a demonstration in Italy last month. Advertisement Pahlavi called for an approach similar to those which eventually brought about an end to the Soviet Union and ended apartheid in South Africa. 'President Ronald Reagan and [British Prime Minister] Margaret Thatcher played a critical role that brought an end to the Soviet Union,' he said. 'So the expectation of my fellow compatriots from the outside free world in particular, was, 'Well, you know, we aspire to the very same values that you enjoy, whether it's in England or in France or in Canada or in the United States.' ' Friends of America Pahlavi insisted that the Iranian people have caught onto the lies told to them about America and the West by the Iranian regime. At recent protests, anti-regime demonstrators have chanted for the return of Pahlavi, as well as denounce the rhetoric coming from the Islamists. Advertisement Pahlavi pointed to slogans chanted by protesters such as, 'They lie to us that the enemy is America. Our enemy is right here.' 6 Pahlavi was forced to flee Iran in his teens before being educated in the States. Samuel Corum for NY Post 'The message is meant for Western governments, saying, 'Look, we are imprisoned here. Why don't you look at us, the Iranian people, as your true partners and an alternative to this regime?' ' he said. 'President Trump, in his first term and his policies of maximum pressure, made him perhaps the most popular American president since the Islamic Revolution,' he said. 'Why? Because the Iranians felt that this is something that weakens the regime, which is in their advantage.' Advertisement And while the regime continues to call for 'death to America' and 'death to Israel,' this is not a view shared by ordinary Iranians, Pahlavi insisted. 'When 9/11 happened, the only country in the Middle East where on the streets of the major cities, instead of celebrating the attack, they had candlelight vigils and support and sympathy with the victims was Iran and Iran alone,' he said. Pahlavi said he puts his faith in the youth of Iran to finally bring an end to the barbarous regime. 'The Gen Z of Iran today … are in line with Western values,' he said. 'Not a warmongering regime that wants to create martyrs out of them.'
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First Post
24-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Exiled 'crown prince' Reza Pahlavi wants West to create 'strike fund' to collapse Iranian regime
According to Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, using Iran's foreign-held assets— estimated at around $100 billion— could be instrumental in empowering opposition forces from within read more Western governments should establish a dedicated fund to support industrial strikes across Iran, aiming to paralyse the state and accelerate the downfall of its regime, according to Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah. Pahlavi, whose father was deposed during the 1979 revolution, has expressed scepticism over the effectiveness of recent nuclear negotiations spearheaded by Donald Trump's administration, suggesting they offer little hope of securing lasting regional peace. Instead, he wants Western nations to redirect their efforts towards aiding domestic opposition movements, facilitating advanced technology to enable better communication and organisation among protesters and dissidents. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Pahlavi, using Iran's foreign-held assets—estimated at around $100 billion—could be instrumental in empowering opposition forces from within. A 'strike fund' Pahlavi advocated the creation of a 'strike fund,' financed through Iranian assets currently frozen by international sanctions, according to POLITICO. These funds would back a sustained wave of peaceful civil resistance, particularly organised labour strikes, which could severely disrupt Iran's economy and administrative functions, potentially triggering the regime's collapse within months. 'Paralysing the regime as a result of work stoppages and strikes— which is the least cost to the nation provided we can fund it— this is something that can happen in a matter of months,' Pahlavi explained. He pointed to Iran's historical vulnerability to labour movements, referencing the critical role played by strikes— especially in the oil sector— in toppling his father's regime nearly half a century ago. Recent years have seen growing unrest in Iran, fuelled by widespread anger at government repression, economic hardship, and international isolation. Tehran's regional influence has diminished significantly, particularly following the collapse of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and extensive damage inflicted by Israeli strikes on Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. A third way Pahlavi, 64, has been actively touring European capitals, meeting with senior government officials and private investors to promote increased support for Iran's internal opposition. He cautions that failing to back internal dissent could lead to external military interventions, including possible US or Israeli strikes. 'Diplomacy has been exhausted with no actual breakthrough, and at the same time, there's a concern that if diplomacy fails are we talking about military action?' Pahlavi said. 'What we propose is a third way — the best way to avoid having to resort to that scenario. Give the people of Iran a chance, let them be the agent of change, before we have to resort to other measures that are not wanted.' Trump, who recently authorised direct talks between US and Iranian officials, has warned of military action if Iran fails to curtail its nuclear programme imminently. However, Pahlavi argues that these nuclear discussions merely serve Tehran's strategy to buy time, further entrenching the ruling clerics. 'This regime does not negotiate in good faith,' Pahlavi asserted. 'However well-intentioned, these nuclear talks will throw a lifeline to a crumbling dictatorship and prolong its export of terror and chaos.'
