The son of Iran's last shah (king), Reza Pahlavi, has called on Iranians to rise up and protest every night to overthrow the current government.
He, who now lives in the United States, issued the statement after the outbreak of massive attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian military and leadership targets.
In his statement, he claimed that the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, means that the ruling regime is now at the end of its life.
Reza Pahlavi has not returned to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the monarchy of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Now, he is positioning himself as a figure capable of leading the transition to a secular democratic system if Iran's theocratic government falls.
In his message, he asked Iranians to voice support for the fall of the Islamic Republic through nightly protests, while still maintaining personal safety.
He also called on government officials who are still loyal to the regime to hand over power peacefully without bloodshed.
He also urged Iranians abroad to increase international pressure and support to ensure the world hears the Iranian people's demands for an end to the current regime.
However, the Iranian opposition remains divided.
Reza Pahlavi has also received criticism, particularly for his support for Israel and his widely publicized visit in 2023.
Furthermore, he has never explicitly distanced himself from his father's autocratic rule during the former monarchy.
