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In a powerful appeal from the Munich Security Conference, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide concrete support to Iranians seeking to overthrow the clerical government.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Pahlavi declared that it is “time to end the Islamic Republic,” framing the movement not as an effort to reform the current system but to “bury” it.
His comments came just a day after President Trump signalled his support for a power shift in Tehran, calling a change of government the “best thing that could happen.”
The plea was amplified by a massive demonstration outside the conference, where approximately 200,000 supporters gathered to demand increased international pressure on the Iranian leadership.
Demonstrators waved the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag and chanted “Long live the shah,” a sentiment fuelled by the deadly repression of nationwide protests in January.
Rights groups estimate that at least 7,008 people were killed and over 53,000 arrested during that crackdown, which Pahlavi described as a turning point that has left the regime “dead” in the eyes of its citizens.
While Pahlavi expressed his readiness to lead a democratic transition, the Iranian opposition remains deeply fragmented.
The 65-year-old has faced significant pushback from other dissident groups, particularly following a controversial 2023 visit to Israel and his reluctance to distance himself from the autocratic legacy of his father’s reign.
Despite these internal divisions, the calls for the monarchy’s return have become a recurring theme in recent street protests, presenting Pahlavi as a central, albeit polarising, figure in the anti-government movement.
The geopolitical stakes continue to rise as President Trump maintains a “locked and loaded” military posture, recently deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region.
However, the situation remains complex; even as the U.S. ratchets up military pressure following strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme last July, diplomatic channels remain flickering.
Representatives from both nations are reportedly scheduled to meet in Geneva this Tuesday for further negotiations, highlighting the precarious balance between calls for regime change and the ongoing effort to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
