As much of the global media scrambled to decode where Iranians stand on the escalating tension between Tehran and Jerusalem – Iran’s exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi appeared to be everywhere.
In what can only be described as a kind of media tour, Pahlavi embarked on at least 13 interviews in the span of just 11 days.
From left-wing to right-wing US cable news, German tabloids, UK broadcasters, Russian independent news stations and an Indian news channel – Pahlavi spoke staunchly against the Iranian government’s attack on Israel.
Pahlavi, whose father was the last monarch before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, arguably stood out as the most prominent Iranian figure speaking to the media about the plight and sentiments of Iranians today.
“I think the time has come for the world to make a final decision on the subject,” Pahlavi said on SKY News.
That was the overarching narrative, woven through the plethora of interviews Pahlavi gave this month: The downfall of the Islamic Republic is the only way to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, but, what’s missing is a final decision – or a reset – by the Western world to commit to regime change.
He was asked by multiple anchors whether he sees cracks or weakness in the regime, enabling its downfall, to which he quickly stated “of course”.
Pahlavi further maintained that diplomacy with Iran has failed – and that Western leaders are clinging to futile hope that the regime may change its behavior.
“This is basically kicking the can down the road… Appeasement has failed. Any continuation of the same, frankly, is insanity,” he told The Telegraph.
Pahlavi refused to name specific Western leaders – but had harsh words for the Obama and Biden administrations in other interviews.
Speaking to Indian news anchor Arnab Goswami, Pahlavi said, "If you take the period of time when there was stronger leadership in this country during the Trump administration...between the Obama administration and Biden administration, the number of executions in Iran was half it is today. Why? Because that kind of leadership and strength basically makes such regimes think twice before they do anything – whether it’s at home or abroad.”
But, Pahlavi made sure to disavow any notion that a foreign military attack or intervention would be necessary to help the Iranian people “liberate themselves.”
“Fighting the tentacles is no longer a solution. You have to go for the eye of the octopus, and the eye of the Octopus is Tehran…I am not calling for any foreign military attack or intervention…the natural army in place are the people of Iran," he told Goswami.
Pahlavi emphasized that the Iranian people hold their own destiny in their hands – but, that it would be much easier with the support of the West.
In his step-by-step plan to achieve a revolution, what do Iranian people need, according to Pahlavi?
Internet access, funding to launch labor strikes, and a clear exit strategy for government or military personnel without criminal records, ensuring their place in a future Iran.
Perhaps boldly, Indian anchor Goswami also asked Pahlavi why the Iranian people should believe that he has their best interest in mind.
“That’s very easy to prove. All you have to do is to monitor Iranian social media. All you have to do is look at various polls that have been done about what level of support or popularity I have in Iran,“ Pahlavi said.
Indeed, Pahlavi is often affectionately called Crown Prince by his fervent followers and monarchists who see him as Iran’s future leader, though he himself has often said he is not running for any political office.
“I’m not running for any office or position,” he told the New York Post, “for me, the finish line is the day people go to the polls and finally participate in a referendum to decide their fate.”
While maintaining that he is one of the few – if not the only person – the Iranian people say they can trust, Pahlavi said their faith in him amounts to a political capital that he’s spending on the liberation of his fellow compatriots.
As Pahlavi spoke about his “two-pronged” approach of maximizing sanctions on Tehran, while simultaneously supporting the Iranian people – BBC’s Chief Correspondent Lyse Doucet threw him a curveball.
Doucet prodded that Pahlavi’s position on expanding sanctions puts him “at odds with other leading figures in the [Iranian] opposition” – citing the imprisoned Nobel-laureate Narges Mohammadi’s stance that sanctions “don’t work” and “add pain on millions of Iranians.”
“I totally disagree with that assessment. And the reason you need to, in fact pressure, is because when you ignore that the regime is going to benefit – not the people – then the only way to curtail the regime is, make it less capable to have access to funding,” Pahlavi answered quickly.
Along with a formal terrorist designation for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by the UK and EU, Pahlavi called for stronger leadership in the West – akin to Roosevelt and Churchill.
Pahlavi’s opponents offline, however, often lament that he is surrounded by extremists, that they don’t want another dictator for Iran – and that he is not entirely transparent about his own plans when it comes to the future of Iran.
So, what has Pahlavi said about his personal plans, if there is a revolution?
“I hope world leaders will finally decide to consider this issue very seriously and I stand ready to present to them our viewpoints, on behalf of my compatriots, of how they can best find a solution that is win-win, which is in the interest of the Iranian people, but also in their own interest,” Pahlavi told English broadcaster and anchor Piers Morgan.
On FOX News, Pahlavi said in the event of regime change, he is there to “provide that kind of interim leadership within a constitutional process that would let the Iranian people to finally decide what they want.”
“Regardless of what the Iranian people do, is it enough for the ultimate change? I always tell my own compatriots, we have to rely on ourselves and nobody else. But, it would be so much easier for us to succeed if we had the actual support from the free world,” Pahlavi told Russian independent news outlet Rain.
