Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi is pushing for regime change in Tehran, asserting that the regime is “near collapse.”
On X, Pahlavi urged Iranians to take action and cautioned military forces that this is their “last opportunity” to support the populace against the government.
“To the military—when you’re directed to attack civilians—refuse those orders. This is your final opportunity. Your actions are being monitored. We will remember those who supported the people and those who harmed them,” Pahlavi wrote on X.
Individuals walk by a prominent banner displaying portraits of deceased leaders from Iran-affiliated military groups, such as Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, situated in central Tehran, Iran, on May 1, 2025. (Photo by MOHAMMADALI NAJIB/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
The message posted on X comes one day after Pahlavi proposed that he lead Iran to democracy. He said it is the Iranian people’s “Berlin Wall moment,” as the future of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime remains uncertain following the destruction of Tehran’s nuclear program. Khamenei was reportedly hiding in a bunker during the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road to peace and a democratic transition,” Pahlavi said on Monday. “I do not seek political power, but rather to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gives a live broadcast on state television on the occasion of Mawlid al-Nabi or Prophet Muhammad’s birth anniversary in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In a direct message to Khamenei, Pahlavi said, “Step down. And if you do, you will receive a fair trial and due process of law. Which is more than you have ever given any Iranian.”
Pahlavi’s late father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown during the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
In February, Pahlavi spoke at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, where he called for international action against Khamenei’s regime and said Iranians were ready to reclaim their “stolen country.”
