Washington, Jan 16 (IANS) Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday urged the international community to take urgent action against Iran’s ruling establishment, saying the Islamic Republic was “close to collapse” and that global inaction would only increase the loss of life.
“The truth is now undeniable. The so-called Islamic Republic is not the government of Iran. It is a hostile occupying force that hijacked our homeland,” Pahlavi said at a crowded news conference in Washington. He described the current struggle in Iran as “not between reform and revolution” but “between occupation and liberation.”
Pahlavi alleged that the regime had used violence on a massive scale against civilians. “The people of Iran are being slaughtered in the streets and in their homes by a regime that shows no mercy,” he said, claiming that “more than 12,000 Iranians were massacred in 48 hours.”
He said protesters were hunted even after being wounded. “Khomeini killers even hunted the wounded protestors in hospitals and executed them in cold blood,” he said, adding that families were forced to pay for the bullets used to kill their relatives before bodies were returned.
Despite the violence, Pahlavi said the regime’s position was weakening. “The Islamic Republic is close to collapse,” he said. “That’s why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to clinging to power.”
He called on the international community to take six specific steps, beginning with protecting civilians. “Protect the Iranian people by degrading the regime’s repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command and control infrastructure,” he said.
He also urged governments to impose economic pressure. “Block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost tankers,” he said, and called for unrestricted internet access inside Iran. “Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran,” he said.
Pahlavi further called for the diplomatic isolation of Tehran. “Expel its diplomats from your capitals, and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity,” he said, while demanding the immediate release of political prisoners.
He argued that supporting Iranians was not interference. “Supporting the Iranian people is not an act of charity, nor is it unwarranted interference,” he said, warning that global stability depended on ending what he described as “47 years of exported terror.”
Pahlavi said foreign military deployments were not necessary. “This does not require putting boots on the ground,” he said. “The Iranian people’s boots are already underground ground.”
The crown prince insisted that the current regime would fall regardless of outside action. “With or without the world’s help, the regime will fall,” he said, but added that quicker action would save lives. “It’ll fall sooner and more lives will be saved if the world turns its words into action.”
–IANS
int/lkj/pgh
