Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last monarch, appealed to Western governments on Thursday to take a more active role against the Tehran government and criticised the German administration for not meeting him during his visit to Berlin.
At a Berlin press conference, Pahlavi, whose father was ousted in the 1979 revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power, accused Europe of watching as Iran carried out a violent crackdown on protests that he said left thousands dead late last year. "The question is not whether change will come. Change is on the way," he said. "The real question is how many Iranians will lose their lives while the community of Western democracies continue to merely watch."
Supporters and opponents of Pahlavi held rival demonstrations in central Berlin. During an appearance, a person was detained after Pahlavi was splashed with some form of red liquid, authorities said.
Pahlavi has lived most of his life in exile and emerged as a possible opposition figure after anti-government protests broke out in Tehran and other Iranian cities last year. However, the article notes Iran’s opposition movements remain deeply divided, and Western governments have generally been cautious about granting clear endorsement because the level of his support inside Iran remains unclear nearly half a century after his father’s rule ended.
European countries, including Germany, have ruled out joining the United States and Israel, which opened the war on February 28 with a wave of airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pahlavi’s trip to Germany comes as efforts to halt the conflict appear to have stalled, with both Iran and the United States maintaining blockades of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a passage that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.
He expressed regret that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government did not offer a meeting during his visit, saying it was a missed opportunity. "Exercise your prerogative. As democracies, you’re entitled to talk to whoever you want," he said.
The visit and the demonstrations underscore the continuing divisions within Iran’s opposition and the caution among Western states about formal recognition or support. They also coincide with ongoing tensions that have affected key maritime routes for global energy supplies.