The "final call" for Iranian demonstrations against the regime is getting closer, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said in an interview with Iran International on Monday.
Pahlavi cautioned that the Iranian government has "no hesitation in suppressing people," and is prepared to kill hundreds of thousands to remain in power. As such, he said, "the movement must proceed intelligently. The final call will be issued at the right moment.”
“I think all of us, after 47 years of dealing with this criminal government, are counting the days until this system finally disappears,” he told Iran International, adding, "We want to reach the day after its collapse, when the people of Iran can achieve what they truly deserve: complete freedom and an opportunity to rebuild and prosper.”
The collapse was developing, Pahlavi said, by means of Israeli and US military pressure weakening the IRGC and Basij, in combination with domestic activism.
“Groups inside the country, members of the Immortal Guard, through organization and coordinated work, have the ability to deliver further blows from within,” he explained, referring to a covert network operating within Iran to undermine the regime. “Many of the developments we have seen in the country did not occur spontaneously but were the result of organized work."
“The Immortal Guard is born from the people themselves,” Pahlavi said. “At this stage, it plays a defensive role, helping protect people’s lives and striking institutions that the authorities use to spread fear and violence.”
The people's opposition, Pahlavi argued, was built around the Iranian cultural identity, which had been oppressed by the regime.
“From the first days, the Islamic Republic confronted cultural traditions such as Nowruz and Chaharshanbe Suri (fire festival) because Iran itself was not their priority," he said.
During the interview, Pahlavi presented an ongoing plan for rebuilding Iran after the regime's toppling, dubbed the "Prosperity Project.”
“The purpose of the Prosperity Project is to ensure that, beyond political activists, professionals and experts are also planning for the future,” he explained.
The project, Pahlavi described, involves having experts from various fields - such as legal experts, economists, health care professionals, and educators - prepare proposals for the governance of the country.
“For example, legal experts can explain how justice should be implemented during the transition and how officials of the current system should be handled,” he said. “Economists can outline how to rebuild the economy and attract investment.”
Existing staff needed for temporary governance after regime change, Pahlavi says
Existing state infrastructure and staff would likely be needed temporarily to maintain operations until the nation's future could be decided, Pahlavi added. The long-term governance would be decided by a constituent assembly and national referendum.
Even members of the existing military establishment, Pahlavi said, would be needed for the transitional period.
“I come from a military family, and I myself was a pilot. I understand the value of those who defend their country. Whether in the army, the police, or the gendarmerie, we need these individuals to maintain the security of the nation.”
“As long as someone’s hands are not stained with the blood of the people, there is no reason they cannot serve in the future of the country,” he added.
The Crown Prince appealed to members of Iran's armed forces and police, presenting them with the opportunity to distance themselves from the regime, while warning them of the consequences otherwise.
“You still have the opportunity to join the people and separate yourselves from the system and its repressive forces,” he said. “You can be part of the solution for the future of the country.”
“Those who choose to remain defenders and guarantors of this system’s survival will have to answer to the people tomorrow,” he added.
Pahlavi also said that he plans on returning to Iran as soon as it is feasible, even before the regime changes.
“I do not know where the first liberated area will be, and it may not necessarily be Tehran,” Pahlavi added. “But as soon as conditions allow, I would prefer to be inside Iran among my compatriots.”
He added that his presence in Iran could encourage defection within the regime, and that he was ready to accept "all necessary and calculated risks" in order to return.
“I have no doubt that this system will eventually disappear and the people will prevail,” Pahlavi said. “The important thing is that we continue our movement according to the calls that are issued and remain committed to rebuilding the country.”