Exiled Iranian crown Prince calls for middle east peace and removal of Islamic regime
- In Reports
- 02:43 PM, Oct 10, 2024
- Myind Staff
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, has sent a "message to the friends of the Iranian people," urging an end to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the removal of the Islamic regime in Iran. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), he stated that the ongoing fighting is "not the Iranian people’s war."
Pahlavi, who left Iran with his family after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, blamed the Iranian regime for the October 7 attack on Israel carried out by Hamas, which is supported by Iran. He emphasized, "Our region deserves so much better. But in order to succeed, first, this regime, that has held us hostage for nearly half a century, must go." He reassured viewers that, despite fears of chaos, they would not allow a power vacuum to follow the regime’s collapse.
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Pahlavi reiterated his criticism of the Iranian government, stating that changing the regime would help solve many global issues. He expressed concern for his compatriots, saying, "[I care about] the welfare of my compatriots. I don’t want to see them yet again suffer from the consequences of this conflict."
Pahlavi added that the current opportunity for regime change could benefit the entire world, explaining that it would help eliminate concerns over maritime security and rising oil prices due to attacks from groups like the Houthis.
Despite his calls for change, Iranian officials often accuse Pahlavi of taking advantage of Iran's instability to pursue his political ambitions. Pahlavi’s father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, ruled from 1941 until his overthrow in 1979. His reign was marked by lavish living and was supported by a CIA-backed coup in 1953 against Iran's prime minister. He died of cancer in exile in Cairo, Egypt.
Reza Pahlavi, who shares his father’s name, left Iran as a teenager with just a few suitcases and no return ticket. Reflecting on that day, he recalled, “not at all able to imagine this would be the last day I would be in my homeland.”
In 1978, he was the eldest son of the Shah, belonging to one of the wealthiest royal families in the world. However, his life changed dramatically as the Shah faced increasing unrest due to his efforts to westernize Iran and his autocratic rule enforced by the secret police, Savak. After a year of protests, the royal family fled Iran in January 1979. Ruhollah Khomeini, an opponent of the Shah, took power and established a hardline Islamic republic, leading to violence and mass exodus from the country.
Pahlavi recalled, “There was an exodus of people fleeing the country, trying to seek refuge abroad from the killings which had already started.” The Shah died in 1980, and the following year, on his 21st birthday, Pahlavi proclaimed himself the Shahanshah, or king of kings, but could not return to Iran or wear the Pahlavi crown left behind.
Currently, Pahlavi lives in suburban Maryland, USA, with his wife Yasmine and their three daughters. While he denies being a billionaire, his family remains affluent, and his mother, Empress Farah Pahlavi, lives nearby and maintains a high-profile social life.
Life in exile has been difficult for the Pahlavi family. His sister Leila died of a drug overdose in 2001, and his brother Ali Reza took his own life in 2011. Empress Farah has described her younger children as “sensitive and fragile” following the upheaval of the revolution, noting that they “never quite overcame the shock” of their abrupt changes in fortune.
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