Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, urged former U.S. President Donald Trump to maintain pressure on Tehran to topple the Iranian regime.
This appeal signals a strategic effort by the Iranian opposition to leverage U.S. political influence to accelerate the collapse of the Islamic Republic. Pahlavi believes that continued pressure from Washington will empower internal protest movements and opposition forces.
During an interview on the program “The Conversation” with host Dasha Burn, Pahlavi said the former president that the current state of the regime provides a unique opening. "Now that you have a wounded beast, this is not an opportunity that you should let go," Pahlavi said [1].
Pahlavi said the former president should ensure the Iranian regime is held accountable, stating, "We need to finish the job" [3]. He said Trump is a man of his word and needs to keep his promise to the Iranian people [4].
While some reports characterize the crown prince's request as a call for a humanitarian intervention, other accounts describe it as a push for continued military pressure [3, 2].
This call for international support follows a period of increased activity for the exiled leader. Just over a week ago [5], Pahlavi launched a high-stakes gamble urging Iranians to take to the streets in protest. This effort coincided with a massive demonstration in Munich, where approximately 250,000 people [6] gathered to protest the Iranian government.
Throughout the interview, Pahlavi said the combination of external U.S. pressure and internal civilian unrest is the most viable path toward regime change. He said the international community must stand with the Iranian people to ensure a transition of power.
“"Now that you have a wounded beast, this is not an opportunity that you should let go."”
Pahlavi's outreach to Donald Trump reflects a strategy of aligning the Iranian diaspora's goals with the 'maximum pressure' foreign policy approach. By framing the Iranian government as a 'wounded beast,' Pahlavi is attempting to convince U.S. leadership that the regime is vulnerable enough for a decisive push to trigger a systemic collapse, rather than a prolonged diplomatic stalemate.
