Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah who was deposed in 1979, who sees himself as the rightful heir, held a press conference in Paris in which he called on his people to overthrow the ayatollah regime and allow him to lead Iran to democracy:"I am not looking for political power." He claimed: "The regime is collapsing, the Khamenei families and other senior officials are preparing to flee, the world must not give them a lifeline. The nuclear sites were damaged, but if the regime survives - it will want revenge and will be able to obtain nuclear weapons."

Itamar Eichner

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Lior Ben Ari

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Iranian Crown Prince

Reza Pahlavi

, the son of the Shah who was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said at a press conference in Paris on Monday afternoon that the ayatollah regime was on the verge of collapse and the time had come to overthrow it. Pahlavi, who sees himself as the one who should return to lead Iran the day after the theocratic government is overthrown, used his words to address members of the Iranian security forces and assure them that they will be able to integrate into the future democratic Iran if they defect now, and urged the international community to seize the moment and not make concessions to the ayatollah regime that would only give it a lifeline.

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Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, today in Paris."The foundation of the dictatorship is shaking" (Photo: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor)

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei: "You will receive a fairer trial than you gave to any Iranian" (Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/Handout, Reuters)

"This is a historic moment for our nation," Pahlavi said at the press conference in Paris."Our beloved Iran has been dragged into a shocking conflict whose architect is none other than...

Ali Khamenei

And his corrupt and destructive regime, which has brought our economy to the brink of collapse, destroyed the infrastructure and depleted the national wealth through the production of nuclear weapons. This regime is defeated and on the brink of collapse, and must not be allowed to continue. It is time to end this regime and begin a new era for Iran. This is a new dawn for the sun and the Iranian lion (the symbol of the Shah's regime)."

At the press conference, Pahlavi said:"In recent days, I have spoken to people across Iran from all walks of life. Officers in the army, a mother in Tehran, a factory worker in Tabriz, a young woman active in the freedom movement. These voices represent a determined nation fighting for its freedom. Thousands of Iranians have sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom for Iran, and today millions of Iranians continue this fight. The Islamic Republic is collapsing. Khamenei's family and the families of senior officials are preparing to flee Iran. The regime is in its final days. The people are united. The foundation of this dictatorship is shaking. This is our Berlin Wall moment." It should be noted that despite Pahlavi's words, there is currently no evidence that the ayatollahs' regime is indeed losing control of the streets and that its end is near.

Warned the world: "As long as the regime exists, no country will be safe." Reza Pahlavi (Photo: JOEL SAGET / AFP)

Israeli attack today in Tehran."The architect of the war is Khamenei and his corrupt regime"

In his remarks at noon, the Crown Prince warned that this is also a moment of danger:"We are standing at a crossroads - one path leads to chaos and bloodshed and the other to a non-violent transfer of power. The difference between the two paths depends on one factor: whether the current regime will be allowed to survive. If the West gives the regime a lifeline, there will be more bloodshed and chaos, because this regime will not surrender after being humiliated. As long as it is in power, no country and no people will be safe, whether on the streets of Washington, Paris, Jerusalem, Riyadh or Tehran. There is only one way to achieve peace: a secular Iran."

Pahlavi said that he therefore offers himself today as the one who will lead the Iranian people on the path to peace and a democratic transfer of power: "I am not seeking political power, but to help our great nation navigate this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice. To the people of Iran - I see your courage. I feel your pain. I know you are suffering. I know that many of you fear for your fate, your family, and your future. I speak about them with a heavy heart. Seeing the sights of the people of Iran being forced to flee the capital - it fills me with pain. But more than pain, I am filled with rage, because this war is the result of the hatred, terror, and selfishness of one man: Ali Khamenei. He is waging the war from his protected bunker and using our people as human shields. It is time to end the suffering."

The message to Khamenei: "Give up power and you will receive a fair trial"

Pahlavi wanted to convey a direct message to Khamenei: "Step down from power, and if you do so you will receive a fair trial. More than anything you have given to any Iranian. Other senior officials in power - those whose hands are soaked in the blood of Iranian citizens - you too will have to stand trial. But we will not repeat the mistakes. Those of you who are loyal to the Iranian nation and not to the Islamic Republic - have a future in a democratic Iran if you join the people now. The choice is yours. I know these officers and police officers. They are reaching out to me and want to be part of this redemption. But now greater coordination is needed. Therefore, I am announcing today that I am establishing a channel for police and government officials to reach out directly to me and my team. This is a safe platform for those who want to join our movement and oppose the government. Now is the time to join the nation. If you do, I will make sure that you are protected."

At the press conference, Pahlavi called on the international community to stand by the Iranian people:"Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Do not throw the regime a lifeline. You are right to have stopped the nuclear program. Only a transition to a democratic government can ensure these goals and is sustainable. Take, for example, the demolition of the facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Yes, it damaged the regime's uranium enrichment capabilities, but it did not damage its intentions to obtain nuclear weapons and use them. The regime seeks revenge and can obtain nuclear weapons from other regimes such as North Korea. Destroying the nuclear facilities alone will not bring peace, but the path I propose will. Work with us. Now is not the time for hesitation."

It should be remembered that although Iranians today live in a religious dictatorship, the Shah's Iran was also a dictatorship, even if some called it an"enlightened dictatorship." Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi admired the West, worshipped French culture, and saw secularism as the only path to modernization and progress; but he was also the man who, in the name of these principles, threw thousands of political prisoners into prison, sent the secret police to try his opponents, and, when millions of his countrymen lived in poverty, cultivated fleets of planes and luxury cars, and purchased works of art and gold jewelry. Because of this, enormous hatred developed against him among his people.

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled Iran on January 16, 1979, amid bloody demonstrations in Tehran and other cities by the masses who rejoiced at his oppressive and corrupt regime. After months of clashes, with the army showing signs of weakness and the cancer-stricken Shah seemingly dysfunctional, the Shah fled to Egypt – and the ayatollahs came to power under the leadership of the leader of the religious opposition, Ruhollah Khomeini. The son, Reza Pahlavi, was in the United States at the time: two years earlier, when he was 17, he had gone to study in America, where he has remained to this day. In 1980, when he was 21, his father, the Shah, died in Egypt, and Reza Pahlavi assumed the role of head of the royal house. Since then, the foreigner has dedicated his life to activities against the religious regime in Tehran.

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