By Kayhan Life Staff
In his first appearance on a Persian-language satellite television channel since the signing of the U.S.–Iran Memorandum of Understanding, Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said the Islamic Republic had suffered major blows since the Feb. 28 start of the war with the U.S. and Israel, and that the people of Iran were continuing their struggle to overthrow the regime.
In a June 27 interview with Iran National Revolution Television (INRTV), he noted that regardless of whether the international community supports the Iranian people, the movement to liberate Iran could not be stopped.
Reza Pahlavi started the 50-minute interview with Tina Ghazimorad discussing recent developments. He said the Islamic Republic was using propaganda to portray itself as victorious, while prompting a sense of despair in the population by claiming that the West — led by the U.S. — had backed down.
In reality, he said, it is the regime that has retreated — turning against its own people through repression, imprisonment, and killings.
“The regime brings in proxy forces from outside the country to suppress the people,” he said, a practice which he said demonstrated that it no longer trusts even its own security forces.
Referring to growing divisions within the government, the military, and the security apparatus, Reza Pahlavi compared the current state of the Islamic Republic to that of the Soviet Union before its collapse.
Drawing on past experience, which he said showed that agreements with the Iranian regime repeatedly failed to yield meaningful results, Reza Pahlavi argued that people should not be overly concerned about the current negotiations or any possible agreements between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.
He rejected the notion that “negotiations have taken place, the matter is settled, the regime will remain in power, and our sacrifices were in vain.” Instead, he maintained that the regime was becoming increasingly deadlocked.
He emphasized that ideological divisions within the regime have widened under current circumstances. At the same time, the Iranian people, each time they have faced brutal repression, have become “more organized, more structured, better prepared, and more united in their struggle against the regime.”
Reza Pahlavi argued that any agreement with the Islamic Republic would do little to benefit the Iranian people. Referring to the aftermath of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, he said that billions of dollars became available to the Islamic Republic — yet living conditions for ordinary Iranians continued to deteriorate.
“I highly doubt that the regime would choose to improve people’s livelihoods or build hospitals and schools instead of funding Hezbollah or producing missiles and drones,” he said.
Discussing his numerous trips in recent months to meet political leaders and activists abroad, Reza Pahlavi said: “The nature of their questions has changed. Their usual question used to be, ‘What is the alternative?’ or ‘What will happen after the regime?’ Now they want to know how they can support the Iranian people and encourage them to rise up. It was emphasized that internet access is critically important, as is applying direct pressure on the regime.”
Elsewhere in the interview, he said, “Officials I met in various countries, including the United Kingdom, have told me that if you want to influence more governments, you need to shape public opinion in those countries. That is why I traveled to Odesa, Stockholm, London, Berlin, and other cities — to help the world understand that it should stand with the people of Iran, because the continuation of this government harms both the Iranian people and the wider international community.”
“I believe one of the main reasons for the international response to the Islamic Republic — including the direct actions taken by the U.S. and Israel against the regime — was my visit to Israel, because they came to understand why they must distinguish between the regime and the Iranian people.”
“The freedom of the Iranian people will contribute to global security,” he said.
“I urge the international community to recognize that the Islamic Republic’s ship is sinking,” he added. “They should not believe that signing a piece of paper is enough to trust the Islamic Republic, especially when it has repeatedly violated its commitments.”
Part of the interview focused on the state of anti-government protests inside Iran.
Asked about them, Reza Pahlavi said: “The struggle continues, and we are working to reorganize and rebuild movements and groups. Some have been hit very hard, while others have managed to endure. This tactical retreat was necessary because you cannot simply send people into the streets to face such severe repression.”
“We adapted our tactics to reflect that reality. At the same time, however, the regime has also suffered significant setbacks. We should not forget that these external blows came only after people had already taken to the streets. In other words, the people’s resistance was not the result of foreign support.”
In the final part of the interview, Reza Pahlavi emphasized: “The primary battlefield against the Islamic Republic must remain inside Iran, but alongside the domestic struggle, we also need international support.”
“It is essential that any external action result in the fewest possible civilian casualties. Compare the number of civilian deaths in the wars in Lebanon or Gaza with the casualties caused by the aerial conflict in Iran. The role of the Iranian people was also crucial in demonstrating to the world that they should not be equated with the regime.”
“The elimination of Khamenei and Larijani would strengthen the people’s struggle because they were among those responsible for ordering security forces to open fire on protesters,” he added.
Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani were killed by Israeli forces after the outbreak of the war.
