Reza Pehlavi, the elder son of the Shah of Iran overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, living in the U.S., called on the United States for urgent action amid mass protests in Iran on Monday, indicating that early U.S. intervention could reduce casualties and accelerate the fall of the current regime, LETA reported citing DPA.
"The best way to ensure fewer people die in Iran is to intervene more quickly so that this regime finally collapses," Pehlavi said in an interview with the American television channel CBS News, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump "needs to make a decision fairly quickly." Pehlavi noted that he is in contact with the American administration but did not go into details. Earlier, Trump had already expressed support for the protesters in Iran, emphasizing that the U.S. military is considering strikes against Iran, as well as other options. Pehlavi accused the Iranian leadership of trying to mislead the international community by showing a willingness to negotiate to end the unrest. He emphasized that "the rules of the game will change if this regime realizes it can no longer count on an unpunished repressive campaign without a reaction from the world." When asked if he is urging Trump to seek regime change, Pehlavi stated: "The president is clear in saying that he supports the people of Iran." "Solidarity with the people of Iran ultimately means supporting their demands, and their demand is for this regime to go," Pehlavi added. Pehlavi, who was appointed crown prince by the overthrown Shah of Iran, has been living in exile in the U.S. for several decades. His father, Mohammad Reza Pehlavi, died in 1980 in exile in Cairo.
