Реза Пехлеви, eldest son of the last Iranian Shah who lost power after the Islamic revolution, has addressed Iranians in a video message from the United States where he has been living for many years. Pahlavi welcomed the strikes by the US and Israel on Iran, calling them “help.” He stated that at this very moment, the Islamic Republic of Iran is experiencing a collapse and urged the military not to stand against their own people. “Join the people and help ensure a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will sink with the shattered ship of Khamenei and his regime,” Pahlavi threatened. He asked Iranians to keep an eye on his speeches so as not to miss the “right moment.” “Be ready at the right moment, which I will inform you about, to return to the streets for decisive action.”
On February 28, the US, having amassed a huge military strike force in the Middle East, along with ally Israel, attacked dozens of military and political targets in Iran. In response, Iran launched missile strikes on American bases in Middle Eastern countries: Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Trump, in his address to the nation, called the Iranian ayatollah regime “terroristic” and “guaranteed” that as a result of the military operation, Iran would have a chance to change power and in any case, there would be no nuclear weapons left in Iran. During all this time, the US had been negotiating with Iran on a nuclear deal, forcing Tehran to abandon uranium enrichment but Iran was not ready to make a deal on harsh American terms. Russia strongly condemned the strikes on Iran, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling them “unprovoked aggression.”
From 2023, President Putin actively positioned himself as a mediator in negotiations with Iran. The Russian Foreign Ministry separately condemned Israel for starting the war because in mid-January, Moscow heard signals from Tel Aviv of disinterest in a confrontation with Iran, and after that, Moscow and Tehran concluded a strategic alliance for 20 years… Regarding Iran: the Islamic Republic of Iran formally has the institution of the presidency and uses this position for representational purposes — however, the real power in the country belongs to the spiritual leader (ayatollah) Khamenei, who is protected by the powerful IRGC – Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pahlavi, naturally, is a supporter of the return to constitutional monarchy in Iran, and with it, secular authority — in this case, as the bloodline heir to the throne, he would become the Shah.
