Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi continued to rail against the Islamic Republic of Iran despite its ceasefire with Israel, orchestrated by President Donald Trump.
Pahlavi has refrained from commenting directly on the ceasefire, instead focusing his public statements on the need for a popular uprising as “the final phase of our struggle.”
Pahlavi alleged in a Tuesday statement that the Iranian military and government officials are being “watched” by foreign agencies and told them to “stand down” if ordered to “lash out at the people.”
“We will remember who stood with the people and who committed crimes against them. To the world — do not save this corrupt, crumbling, terrorist regime,” he wrote. “At this historic moment, stand with the Iranian people. Shield them from the regime’s desperate backlash. Do not prop up a regime that will, soon again, turn its guns, missiles, and terror toward you. Do not fear. Be bold. Victory is in our hands.”
His message ran counter to Trump, who changed course following the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this week.
Prior to the ceasefire, Trump seemingly alluded to Pahlavi’s campaign to lead a transitional government, a movement supported by the monarchist Iranian diaspora sometimes referred to colloquially as “Make Iran Great Again.”
“If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump walked that back following the cessation of violence in the region.
“I don’t want it. I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to the NATO summit. “Regime change takes chaos, and ideally, we don’t want to see so much chaos, so we’ll see how it does.”
Pahlavi also published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday in which he argued that “after Khamenei’s regime is on the ash heap of history, the U.S. and the international community will find no better friend in peace and prosperity [than the people of Iran].”
“Mr. Khamenei’s mediocrity isn’t an accident — it defines the system,” Pahlavi wrote. “It can’t be reformed because it was never built to succeed. It will collapse eventually, at which point Iranians can realize their goals of dignity, freedom and the right to build a future in their own name.”
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He concluded, “After Mr. Khamenei’s regime is on the ash heap of history, the U.S. and the international community will find no better friend in peace and prosperity.”
Rumors of Pahlavi having scorn toward Trump emerged following the ceasefire, as reports accused the crown prince of unfollowing the president on social media.
Pahlavi’s communications team dismissed the social media policing as “fake news.”