Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After the US and Israel launched joint aerial attacks on multiple targets in Iran on Saturday, in a bid to change its theocratic regime, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged the Iranians to prepare for a “decisive phase,” the media reported.
In a message to the Iranian people, he said, “final victory is near.”
Writing on X, the US-based Pahlavi said: “Decisive moments lie before us. The assistance that the President of the United States had promised to the brave people of Iran has now arrived. This is a humanitarian intervention, and its target is the Islamic Republic, its apparatus of repression, and its machinery of killing—not the country and great nation of Iran.”
“However, despite the arrival of this assistance, the final victory will still be achieved by us. It is we, the people of Iran, who will finish this task in this final battle. The time to return to the streets is approaching.”
Earlier, President Donald Trump announced that the US had launched what he described as a major attack on Iran. He said the operation aimed to devastate the country’s military capabilities, eliminate its nuclear programme, and bring about a change in government.
He also urged the Iranian people to “take over the government,” saying this was likely the only opportunity they would get in generations. “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny…. This is the moment for action, do not let it pass,” Trump said in a video address on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Appeals to Iran’s army
Pahlavi also addressed members of Iran’s military, law enforcement and security services directly, saying: “Now that the Islamic Republic is collapsing, my message to the country’s military, law enforcement, and security forces is clear: You have sworn an oath to protect Iran and the Iranian nation, not the Islamic Republic and its leaders.”
“Your duty is to defend the people, not to defend a regime that has taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime. Join the nation and help ensure a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will sink with Khamenei’s ship and his crumbling regime.”
Message to Trump
Pahlavi also addressed Trump, saying: “… My message to the President of the United States, President Trump, is this: The honourable people of Iran, despite the brutal repression and killings carried out by this regime, stood bravely for nearly two months.
“I now ask you to exercise the utmost possible caution to preserve the lives of civilians and my compatriots. The people of Iran are your natural allies and the allies of the free world, and they will not forget your assistance during the most difficult period of Iran’s contemporary history,” he wrote.
Calls for readiness
In his message to Iranians, Pahlavi said: “And to you, my dear compatriots in Iran: In these sensitive hours and days, more than ever we must remain focused on our ultimate goal: reclaiming Iran.”
However, he also urged restraint for the moment. “I ask you, for now, to remain in your homes and remain calm and safe. Stay alert and ready to return to the streets for the final action at the appropriate time, which I will communicate to you.”
Pahlavi ended his message on a note of hope, saying: “We are very close to final victory. I hope to be with you as soon as possible so that together we may reclaim Iran and rebuild it.”