Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, warned Friday that anti-government protesters could face more bloodshed unless immediate international action is taken against the country’s military forces. Speaking in Washington, DC, Pahlavi urged President Trump to intervene.
The 65-year-old dissident said he believes Trump, who has threatened to strike Iran if the violence continues, is “a man of his word.”
“President Trump said that if the regime hit the Iranian people hard, they would face serious consequences,” Pahlavi said. “The Iranian people have taken him at his word.” He added that targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could “prevent more loss of life and weaken the regime to a point where resistance would be futile.”
“The odds are not fair for a nation trying to overcome a regime through peaceful protests,” Pahlavi said. “The only way to level the playing field is to weaken the regime’s apparatus of oppression.”
President Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that brutalizing protesters could provoke military action, but so far no strikes have been ordered, even as thousands have reportedly died in the crackdown.
Iran has since returned to a tense calm. Senior hardline cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami on Friday called for executions of detained protesters and accused the demonstrators of being “butlers” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump soldiers.”
Protests have largely ceased in Tehran in recent days, with residents reporting fear of leaving their homes due to armed security forces and ongoing internet blackouts.
The demonstrations began on December 28, sparked by Iran’s collapsing economy, which has made basic necessities unaffordable for many. It remains uncertain whether President Trump will follow through on his threat, with some Middle Eastern leaders reportedly expressing caution to the White House over military intervention.
Pahlavi, whose father was ousted in Iran in 1979, remains hopeful Trump will support the protesters. “I believe the president is a man of his word,” he said, adding that regardless of external action, Iranians “have no choice but to carry on the fight.”
He also called for global measures to pressure Iran’s clerical rulers, including blocking assets, expelling diplomats, and deploying satellite internet systems like Starlink to counter the communication blackout.
“The Iranian people are taking decisive action on the ground,” Pahlavi said. “It is now time for the international community to join them fully. Foreign troops don’t need to enter the country — the Iranian people’s boots are already on the ground. They are marching, sacrificing, and fighting for their freedom every day.”
Pahlavi has positioned himself as a potential transitional leader if the regime falls, pledging to guide Iran toward democracy. However, the level of his support within the country is unclear. Even President Trump has expressed uncertainty about Pahlavi’s leadership prospects.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump said Wednesday. “We aren’t at that point yet. I don’t know whether his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”