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Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, urged US President Donald Trump to assist the Iranian people in overthrowing the current regime, declaring that it was "time to end the Islamic Republic."
According to The Times of Israel, speaking to reporters at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Pahlavi called on Trump to deliver on promises of support. "To President Trump... The Iranian people heard you say help is on the way, and they have faith in you. Help them," he said. Pahlavi encouraged Iranians inside the country and in the diaspora to sustain demonstrations against the authorities. He invited them to chant slogans from their homes and rooftops at 8:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, aligning with protests taking place in Germany and other locations. "In this spirit, I invite you, on the evenings of February 14 and 15 at 8 p.m., to raise your voices and chant from your homes and rooftops. Shout your demands. Show your unity. With an unbreakable will, we will prevail over this occupying regime," he said. Pahlavi emphasised that the time had come for decisive change. "It is time to end the Islamic Republic. This is the demand echoing from the bloodshed of my compatriots, who are not asking us to fix the regime but to help them bury it," he told the gathering, according to The Times of Israel. His remarks followed Trump's statement on Friday that a government change in Iran would be the "best thing that could happen." Trump had also ordered a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to increase military pressure on Tehran. Trump had previously warned of possible military intervention to back ongoing street protests in Iran, which reached a peak in January before facing a severe crackdown by security forces. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, the verified death toll has surpassed 7,000, including 214 government personnel, with many more feared killed. Pahlavi, who has lived outside Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the monarchy, has repeatedly backed the protest movement. Iranian officials have described the demonstrations as manipulated by "terrorists" backed by the United States and Israel. The 65-year-old opposition figure has indicated his readiness to lead a democratic transition, noting that numerous protest chants have called for the restoration of the monarchy. However, the Iranian opposition remains fragmented, and Pahlavi has drawn criticism for his public support for Israel, including a prominent 2023 visit that hindered efforts to unite various opposition groups. He has also not distanced himself from his father's autocratic governance. (ANI)
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