Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, urged European governments in Berlin not to appease Tehran, warning that continued engagement with the ruling authorities would only preserve the existing power structure. Speaking at a press conference, he said: ‘If you think you can make peace with this regime, you are sorely mistaken,’ and added that there would be no lasting stability even if a diluted version of the current system survived. He characterized Iran’s leadership as ‘a wounded beast’ and argued that there are no genuine reformers among its rulers, only ‘different faces of a regime.’
Pahlavi also accused Iran’s authorities of executing 19 political prisoners in the past two weeks and called on the free world to take action rather than ‘watch the slaughter in silence.’ He presented himself as a possible transitional leader should the clerical regime fall, saying he would not seek to be a permanent ruler or a new shah.
In Berlin to build support for political change, Pahlavi is scheduled to meet Armin Laschet, a lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU who chairs the Bundestag’s foreign policy committee, along with foreign policy figures from other parties. No meetings with government ministers were planned. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described Pahlavi’s visit as a private trip and said it was not the federal government’s role to engage in such talks. Pahlavi called that stance ‘a disgrace,’ urging democratic governments to ‘speak with the people who are the voice of the voiceless’ and accusing Berlin of allowing itself to be blackmailed by Tehran.
Hundreds of supporters rallied in Berlin calling for regime change, while counter-demonstrations also took place. A protester threw a tomato at Pahlavi after he left the press conference.
Laschet defended his planned meetings, saying he believes Pahlavi ‘can be a person who leads a transition.’ He described Pahlavi as the best-known opposition figure and, for many Iranians, the current alternative to the clerical regime.
Pahlavi, who lives in exile in Maryland, is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. While monarchists back him, many opposition groups find him controversial and oppose restoring a royal to power. Critics question his democratic legitimacy, point to alleged ties with Israel, and say it is unclear how much support he actually commands inside Iran. For now, prospects for change remain uncertain as Tehran shows no sign of yielding amid rising regional tensions, including US-Israeli strikes and a US naval blockade.