LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — President Donald Trump said it seems regime change would be the ‘best thing’ in Iran as he pushes for a new nuclear deal on Friday.
He also said he is sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East as he ramps up pressure on Iran.
While the situation plays out in Washington, support for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues around the world.
On Saturday, there were mass protests demanding regime change in three cities: Los Angeles, Munich, and Toronto.
They were part of a call to action from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who many both inside and outside of Iran are calling to become the new leader of Iran.
Police estimated 300,000 protesters in front of the steps of Los Angeles’ City Hall, before a march through downtown for the U.S. event.
There were people from all around the country, and some from other nations as well, including Canada.
“Our only duty now to be the voice of voiceless people of Iran and just amplify their wishes and amplify whatever they want for their future,” said Hamid Saeidi, a Grammy Award-winning Iranian-American musician.
The crowd’s message was fighting for a free Iran. And the event-goers called their efforts the “Lion and Sun Revolution,” adopting the pre-Islamic Republic flag as a sign of unity.
“The hope for this is just that people can live without fear,” said Las Vegan Ashkan Kouranki. “People can be free to be themselves without having to look behind their shoulders every single day, free of prosecution, free of judgment, free of death.”
Kouranki said the trip to LA was important, with family still in Iran.
“Some of my cousins got shot back home, she sent me videos and pictures of her leg. She was shot with pellets, and she was afraid to go into the hospital because they’re kidnapping and killing people in the hospitals,” he said.
Over the last few weeks, there have been reports of the Islamic Republic’s killings and imprisonment of thousands of protesters, protesters demanding basic human rights.
“They’re just being killed for being going out there and also showing their voices and sharing that they are over everything that’s going on in the brutal government that’s treating them so poorly,” said Gisoo Moradian of Las Vegas.
Among Saturday’s speakers was exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s eldest daughter, Noor.
Many shouting chants in support of her father, with hopes of his leadership in Iran moving forward.
“One of the main concerns of the all these different nations is who is going to be the alternative to the Islamic Republic? And I do believe that by showing support to compress a Pahlavi, that we have a valid support for him to be the alternative, transactional transitional leader,” said Maysam Sabitian of Las Vegas.
While the U.S. continues its negotiations over a nuclear deal with Iran, these protesters say their focus is on ending the Islamic Republic’s rule.
“One of the main things I’ve heard is that you don’t negotiate with the terrorists. I don’t I believe that President Trump is trying to take the diplomatic way with them, but history has shown that there is no diplomatic settlement with these people,” said Sabitian. “And I believe we are at the verge of the United States helping Iranian people, as President Trump has promised them, he told them, help is on the way, and we were locked and loaded if they kill people in Iran. And I think that’s going to happen very soon.”
Now all eyes are on Washington to see what happens next, but many Iranian-Americans say time is of the essence because they don’t want any more killings by the Islamic Republic.