MUNICH — As international eyes turn to Munich, Germany, supporters of Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi are urging world leaders to intensify their stance against the Iranian government. Gathered for an influential security conference, these leaders face calls for tangible action from Pahlavi’s followers.
Pahlavi has mobilized his supporters, calling for demonstrations in major cities such as Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto. He has declared this a “global day of action,” encouraging people to flood the streets and demand “urgent, practical steps in support of the Iranian people.”
Amidst these calls for action, the Iranian government is already feeling the heat. President Donald Trump has issued renewed threats of military intervention, pressuring Iran to further reduce its nuclear activities. He has openly stated that a regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”
The streets of Munich have already seen protests in response to Iran’s harsh suppression of recent nationwide protests. Demonstrators, including supporters of the Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (or Mujahedeen-e-Khalq), have voiced their dissent on the opening day of the security conference, which convenes European leaders and global security experts.
Reza Pahlavi, the heir of Iran’s last monarch who was ousted in 1979, has spent nearly half a century in exile. Despite this, he is attempting to carve out a significant role in Iran’s future political landscape.
During a press briefing on Saturday in Munich, Pahlavi issued a stark warning. He cautioned that if democratic nations merely observe from the sidelines, the result could be further loss of life in Iran.
“We gather at an hour of profound peril to ask: Will the world stand with the people of Iran?” he asked.
He added that the Iranian government’s continued survival “sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.”
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 7,005 people were killed in the protest, including 214 government forces. It has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths.
Iran’s government offered its only death toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran’s theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.
The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.
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