Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged US President Donald Trump not to give in to feigned pragmatism by the Islamic Republic which succeeded his ousted father, warning that such a move would perpetuate tyranny and terrorism.
“In the coming weeks and months, you will see a different face of the Islamic Republic. It will not speak the language of jihad, hostage-taking, or chaos. It will talk of deal-making, mutual interest, and pragmatism,” Pahlavi said at a National Press Club event in Washington DC on Tuesday.
“The United States has a choice—will it seek to use the leverage and this historic opportunity to fundamentally alter the trajectory of the Middle East and the world, or will it fall for the flirtations of a radical Islamic regime and hand the Middle East back to its radical, terrorist proxies?”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed openness to direct negotiations with the new Trump administration on Tehran's disputed nuclear program, though hardliners and Iran's Supreme Leader remain publicly opposed.
Trump withdrew the United States from an international nuclear deal with Iran in his first term and has said Tehran cannot be allowed to have nuclear arms, though he has appeared to rule out seeking the overthrow of the nearly fifty-year-old theocracy.
Pahlavi warned that the Islamic Republic of Iran remains the region’s chief obstacle to peace and prosperity, saying the weakening of Hamas in Gaza, the fall of Assad in Syria and the decapitation of Hezbollah in Lebanon present a historic opportunity.
“The Middle East is on the cusp of fundamental change—a reset that has the potential to course-correct decades of terror, conflict, and chaos to peace, prosperity, and stability.”
The exiled prince, who has resided in the Washington DC area for most of his life, said in apparent nod to Trump's opposition to foreign wars that no military intervention by the United States was required.
“Mr. President, anyone telling you that you have to sacrifice the lives of your brave troops to see change in Iran and a peaceful Middle East is lying to you,” saying the Iranian people would topple their own oppressors, whom he called "the world’s chief warmonger."
"Funding of proxies will continue. Regional instability will continue. Interference in the affairs of other countries will continue. Radicalization will continue," Pahlavi said. "None of that will change. Again, as I said, it's in the DNA of the regime. This DNA hasn't changed for 45 years. We should not expect it will change in the next 45 years."
Previously, Reza Pahlavi, in a letter to Donald Trump, warned the new US administration against trusting the Islamic Republic and emphasized that Trump has the opportunity to end the tyranny in Iran through a policy of maximum pressure.
