Iran's exiled crown prince asks Europe's help to end regime

""This regime is on its last leg. It's about to collapse," Pahlavi told a press conference in Washington where has spent decades living in exile after fleeing Iran in 1978. "The democratic free world, which champions freedom and human rights and equality of citizens in the face of this regime's brutal repression, should act now," Pahlavi said in response to a question from DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl about what he expects from Europe and Germany."

"Demonstrations centered around economic hardship in Iran began in late December. They quickly evolved into the largest threat to the Islamic regime's rule since it took power in a 1979 revolution that abolished the monarchy and toppled Pahlavi's father, shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Sparse reports from inside Iran indicate the scale of the protests was met with an extreme level of violence, topping what was seen during previous anti-regime protests in 2019 or 2022."

"However, an ongoing internet blackout has made it difficult to verify the scale of the death toll or to receive accounts of violence at the hands of authorities. The latest estimate provided by the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights, citing information from Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, shows 3,379 protesters were killed during the height of the violence between January 8 to 12. The NGO emphasized this number was an "absolute minimum," and that the actual death toll could be much higher."

Calls for democracies to act now urge support for resistance to Tehran's Islamic regime, asserting the regime is on its last leg and about to collapse. Demonstrations centered on economic hardship began in late December and evolved into the largest threat to the Islamic regime since 1979. Sparse reports from inside Iran indicate authorities met protests with extreme violence, exceeding previous crackdowns. An ongoing internet blackout has hindered verification of casualties and accounts. Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights, citing Iran's health ministry data, reports 3,379 protesters killed between January 8 and 12 and describes that figure as an "absolute minimum," with the true toll likely higher.

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