Iran’s former Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, says he will fight for his country “whether or not Europe stands with us” after attempting to drum up support on a recent visit.
After holding press conferences in Berlin and Stockholm, Pahlavi hit out at European media for “criticizing America” instead of covering the persecution of civilians by the Iranian regime. Tens of thousands were killed during nationwide riots in January.
“They seem more interested in criticizing America, asking why the United States and Israel killed the dictator that has slaughtered our people for 47 years than criticizing the regime doing the slaughtering,” he said in a post on X. “They seem more interested in asking questions about Iran’s past and history than about what is happening in Iran today or about the democratic future Iranians are seeking.”
“Even if we have to do this alone, we will fight until Iran is free,” he added.
Pahlavi, son of the Shah who ruled Iran until 1979, has lived in the U.S. for decades. He encouraged the uprisings in January and said at the time that he was ready to lead the country to democracy, though it is unclear how much support he has from the Iranian people.