Iran’s opposition leader, , has called on the international community to increase pressure on him to help them topple clerical rule, even as the deadly crackdown appears to have succeeded in curbing protests. Pahlavi, the exiled son of the ousted Shah of Iran, held a press conference in Washington, calling for political, economic and military pressure on the .
He said “large sections” of Iran’s military and security forces have “whispered” their loyalty to him and he is in an excellent position to ensure a stable transition for the country. Pahlavi, 65, is seeking to play a role in Iran’s future, even as US President Donald Trump earlier this week expressed doubts about his ability to rally support inside the country.
Pahlavi wants decisive action on the field
“The Iranian people are taking decisive action in the field. It is time for the international community to fully support them,” Pahlavi said.
Pahlavi has lived in the U.S. since before his father’s overthrow in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Iranian opposition remains fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions — including monarchists who support Pahlavi — and appears to have little organized presence within the Islamic Republic.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have reportedly been killed in a crackdown on anti-clerical unrest.
