Exiled Crown Prince Urges Iranian Democracy, Denounces Hamas

Jerusalem, 15 December, 2023 (TPS) -- The son of the former Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, claims in an exclusive interview with Adnkronos that a democratic Iran could become a focal point for stability in the Middle East. He views Hamas as a brutal terrorist organization with no room for accommodation, emphasizing the potential for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and fostering a stable and peaceful Middle East through the “collapse” of the Islamic Republic and its associated regime.

The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the birth of a stable and peaceful Middle East will have to go through the “collapse” of the Islamic Republic and of the regime which embodies it, claims Reza Ciro Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, overthrown in 1979 by the Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in an exclusive interview with Adnkronos.

Adnkronos: During the last year, after the murder of Mahsa Amini and the protests in Iran that were violently repressed by the Ayatollah’s regime, the people of Iran and their plight for freedom had been very clear in the eyes of the world. Two weeks ago Armita Geravand, a sixteen year old girl was beaten in the Tehran metro by the Moral Police of the regime because she was not wearing a veil, and is now in a coma. What future do you see for the Iranian people under this regime?

Pahlavi: The Iranian people have no future under this regime. This regime, from its very beginning, has sought to destroy Iran and Iranians. That’s why Iranians across the country have risen up against this regime to free themselves. They have correctly recognized that this regime cannot be reformed and cannot solve Iran’s problems because it is an anti-Iranian regime.

Adnkronos: Do you see the possibility of a transition to a democratic Iran and if yes, how so?

Pahlavi: I don’t see the transition to democracy in Iran as being a possibility, I see it as being a reality. The people of Iran know very well what they do not want and now they are coming to recognize what they do want: a secular, democratic Iran.

I have always advocated that this transition be brought about organically and internally and through non-violent means and methods as we have seen numerous times in modern history, most notably in South Africa and Eastern Europe. Iranians are uniting in a movement of national civil disobedience to bring down the Islamic Republic and this is how our country will transition to democracy.

Iranian Support for Terror

Adnkronos: Do you think the protests of the Iranians against the government will continue even after the break of this war? How strong is the support of the Iranian people for organizations such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon?

Pahlavi: For Iranians, Iran is important. That is why in protests they chant: “Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life for Iran!” They are tired of having their national resources and wealth plundered by the Islamic Republic to be sent to terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. The day after the October 7th terrorist attack in a football stadium in Tehran, they chanted against these attacks very clearly.

Adnkronos: Do you think that there can be a future Palestinian State with Hamas in the picture?

Pahlavi: The Palestinian people deserve to live in peace in their own state but that cannot happen with Hamas. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that in addition to terrorizing innocent Israeli civilians has violently suppressed the Palestinian people. Palestinians deserve better than a terrorist group as their representatives.

Adnkronos: How far do you think the Ayatollah’s and the supreme leader Khamenei will go to support Hamas against Israel? He announced the will to eliminate the Jewish State as a whole, in which way this is determining Israel’s reaction?

Pahlavi: The Islamic Republic, from Khomeini to Khamenei, created these proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to get as close as they can to Israel’s destruction without paying the price. They will push as much as they can, until they face a consequence.

Gaza War

Adnkronos: We are witnessing a terrible siege in Gaza, Israel seems determined to eliminate Hamas in Gaza and we assist in fear for the destiny of Palestinians civilians in the strip. Do you see a diplomatic way out to this war that can avoid enormous casualties on both sides? Do you see a widening of the conflict?

Pahlavi: The only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to peace in the Middle East more broadly is the end of the Islamic Republic in Iran. The Islamic Republic is funding, aiding, and directing, terrorist groups like Hamas to sow chaos and instability in the Middle East because this regime thrives in chaos and discord.

As long as this regime is in power, it will not allow a diplomatic solution to this conflict. We saw how it pushed this recent terrorist attack to undermine the diplomatic success of the Abraham Accords. It will continue to foment such chaos to undermine any diplomatic processes as long as it is in power.

The only hope for a peaceful resolution to this conflict is by supporting the Iranian people to bring about the end of the godfather of this terrorism.

Regional Peace

Adnkronos: What is your vision for the future of the Middle East? How can a democratic Iran contribute to the stabilization of a conflicted region?

Pahlavi: A democratic Iran will be the lynchpin for stability in the Middle East, just as it was prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Iran had excellent relations with both its Israeli and Arab neighbors. We kept peace in the region. That is exactly the role Iran can play again after the fall of the Islamic regime.

My vision for our region is one in which Iran seeks peaceful, productive, and prosperous relations with all of our neighbors based on mutual respect, national sovereignty, and collective interests.

Adnkronos: In April this year, you made a historic visit to Israel in which you met President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and in which you discussed the chance of a joint future in the Middle East, returning to the bilateral relations of the days before the Ayatollah’s revolution in 1979. Do you see a scenario in which the people of Iran will accept Israel as a regional partner?

Pahlavi: The Iranian people seek peaceful and cooperative relations with all of our neighbors because it is in Iran’s national interests to do so. We are a peace-seeking people and of course we share an ancient, Biblical connection with the Jewish people. Indeed, the day after my visit to Israel, Iranians in a volleyball stadium shouted pro-Israeli chants in an unprecedented move.

Adnkronos: There have been many social media contacts between Israeli and Iranian youth who have started an independent dialogue. Does this involve only Iranians of the diaspora, or do you think it is the beginning of a historic shift of the new generation in the Middle East?

Pahlavi: It is certainly not limited to the diaspora. We have seen so many inspiring videos from inside Iran of my compatriots refusing to step on and desecrate the Israel, American, or British flag that regime authorities put on the ground in front of doorways and building entrances in an effort to force people to step on them. Iranians refuse to do this.

We are proud of our history and love our nation but this pride and love, for us Iranians, has never come at the cost of hatred of or prejudice towards others. Iranians respect their neighbors and, yes, I do think that change in Iran and the establishment of a secular democracy will bring about a historic shift for the Middle East. But that cannot happen as long as this regime is in power.

Adnkronos: Do you believe the Abraham Accords will stand the test of this war? Will the dialogue towards normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel pick up again after the current freezing?

Pahlavi: The Islamic Republic had dedicated itself to undermining the prospect of peace in the region. The Abraham Accords is, as of now, their main target. This regime will continue their attempts to destroy any prospect of peace as long as it is in power.

Adnkronos: If Israel succeeds in its intention of defeating Hamas, will the aspirations of the Palestinians to have a state still be on the table or will they be buried forever?

Pahlavi: I hope that the Palestinians will be able to develop their own legitimate political representation to bring about their own state. Hamas does not have the best interests of the Palestinian people at heart. They use innocent Palestinian civilians to advance their financial and ideological gains. It is shameful and the Palestinians deserve better.

Adnkronos: How do you see the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia?

Pahlavi: Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is in a difficult position given the immense pressure the Islamic Republic is putting on him through the Houthis in Yemen. I believe this deal, which you can hardly call rapprochement, is little more than a temporary pressure release valve that has been pulled.

There will be no peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia as long as this regime in Tehran is in power. However, with the Islamic Republic gone our two nations can once again enjoy productive relations and ties.