The heir of the last Shah of Iran shows a path for democracy
Is Iran a paper tiger?
The conflict between Iran and Israel might have ended in a ceasefire, but that Tehran's problems are far from over, both internally and externally. Many people are wondering if the ayatollah-led government is weaker than it appears.
The prince's speech
Newsweek reports that Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last monarch of Iran, believes that the collapse is only a matter of time for the Islamic government in Tehran.
'Put an end to this nightmare'
The heir of the Iranian throne has also called for the people to “reclaim and rebuild” the country and help to put “put an end to this nightmare once and for all”, per Newsweek.
'Like a frightened rat'
Pahlavi described Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme political and religious ruler and the country’s head of state, as hiding “like a frightened rat”, during the conflict with Tel Aviv, as quoted by JNS.
'Inevitable' fall?
According to JNS, the son of the Shah of Iran stated on the video address during the Israel-Iran conflict that Iranian security forces and government employees “not stand against the Iranian people for the sake of a regime whose fall has begun and is inevitable.”
A path for democracy?
JNS reveals that Iran’s exiled crown prince also affirmed that he had a 100-day transition government plan to establish a democratic rule in Tehran “by the Iranian people and for the Iranian people.”
'Above all politics'
UK-based Iranian journalist Nazenin Ansari told Newsweek that the words of the son of the Shah will resonate among Iranians because Pahlavi is “a figure above all politics”.
A unifying figure?
“He's the one figure that has been opposing the Islamic Republic in standing for secular democracy for the past 46 years,” said Ansari to Newsweek. “He has a lot of support amongst Republicans and Democrats who are Iran-focused.”
The last Shah
Reza Pahlavi is the son of Shah Muhammed Reza Pahlavi, the last monarch of Iran, who ruled the country from 1941 until 1979, when he was ousted by the Iranian Revolution, which established a religious-based government.
A CIA puppet?
Perceived as a tyrannical pro-Western puppet regime, Newsweek highlights that that Pahlavi family and other Iranian exile groups have been accused throughout the years from being backed by the CIA.
