Reza Pahlavi Urges West Not to Save Iran’s Regime After Israeli Strikes

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, has issued an urgent plea to Western powers: do not throw a lifeline to the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking from Paris, Pahlavi described Iran as teetering on the edge of collapse following a punishing 10-day air campaign by Israel and the United States, and urged world leaders not to squander this historic opportunity.

“This regime is collapsing… This is our Berlin Wall moment,” he said, invoking the fall of the Eastern Bloc. “You can facilitate that by standing this time with the people, not throwing this regime another lifeline to survive.”

Pahlavi’s comments follow the joint Israeli-American offensive against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Among the targets was the heavily fortified Fordo nuclear site. While Israel has stated that regime change is not its goal, officials have acknowledged indirect cooperation with Iranian dissidents.

Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu described such cooperation as “a blessing,” while government spokesman David Mencer emphasized that any collapse of the regime would be a welcomed “byproduct” rather than an objective of the war.

Pahlavi, who has long maintained he is not seeking to reclaim the Iranian throne, said he is ready to lead a national transition. He announced the creation of a formal communications channel for Iranian military and security personnel wishing to defect something he claims is already happening.

“They are beginning to communicate with us from the military, the intelligence apparatus,” Pahlavi stated, adding that he has credible reports of top officials and even members of Khamenei’s family preparing escape routes.

He also said he had information that the supreme leader is now underground, protected by human shields. “I can hardly imagine that a regime that is now severely diminished in its capabilities and has been practically humiliated is in the mood for more talks,” he added.

While European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron have warned against military-driven regime change, Pahlavi stressed that diplomacy has repeatedly failed. “Time and time again, this regime has been deceitful in negotiations,” he said, criticizing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s continued talks with European leaders.

Pahlavi envisions a future Iran rooted in territorial integrity, individual liberty, and the separation of religion and state. “The final form of this future democracy we seek will be for the Iranian people to decide in a national referendum,” he said.

As Israel maintains pressure on Tehran and Western powers weigh their next moves, Pahlavi’s message is a reminder that the stakes are not just strategic they are historic. A free Iran may finally be within reach, and the international community must decide whether to back its people or prolong the tyranny they seek to escape.

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