THE exiled son of Iran’s last shah said he was ready to lead the country to a “secular democratic future” at a rally in Munich, Germany, after US President Donald Trump said a change of power would be the “best thing”.
It came as Washington continued to engage diplomatically with Teheran’s government, with Switzerland on Saturday confirming that mediator Oman would host a fresh round of talks in Geneva next week.
US-based Reza Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, told the crowd of around 200,000 people of his supporters that he could lead a transition.
“I am here to guarantee a transition to a secular democratic future,” he said on Saturday.
“I am committed to be the leader of transition for you so we can one day have the final opportunity to decide the fate of our country through a democratic, transparent process to the ballot box.”
“Javid shah” (long live the shah),” the crowd chanted as they waved green-white-and-red flags with a lion and a sun – the emblem of the toppled monarchy.
“The Iranian regime is a dead regime,” according to a 62-year-old protester originally from Iran who gave his name only as Said. “It must be game over.”
Pahlavi has urged Iranians at home and abroad to continue demonstrating, calling on them to chant slogans from their homes and rooftops Saturday and Sunday, to coincide with protests in Germany and elsewhere.
Thousands of protesters in various demonstrations from downtown Los Angeles to the National Mall in Washington marched in solidarity Saturday with anti-government protests in Iran.
“Trump act now!” demonstrators chanted in Toronto.
Trump had said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure on Teheran.
“To President Trump ... The Iranian people heard you say help is on the way, and they have faith in you. Help them,” Pahlavi had earlier told reporters gathered at the Munich Security Conference.
“It is time to end the Islamic republic,” he said.
When Iran began its crackdown, Trump initially said the United States was “locked and loaded” to help demonstrators.
But he has more recently focused his military threats on Teheran’s nuclear programme, which US forces struck last June during Israel’s unprecedented 12-day war with Iran. — AFP
