‘Make Iran Great Again’? Exiled Prince Pahlavi Courts Trump As Iran Burns, Critics Cry Opportunism | World News

New Delhi: Exiled Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has made an emotional appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging him to stand firm with the Iranian people as protests demanding “freedom” continue to grip the country.

Speaking from Paris on Sunday, he described the US president as a “man of peace” and credited his words of support for giving courage to Iranians confronting what he called the Khamenei-led “terror regime”.

The 65-year-old, son of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, said the current leadership in Tehran rules through fear and pressure and no longer represents the wishes of ordinary citizens.

In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Pahlavi addressed Trump as follows: “Mr. President, you have already created a legacy as a man of peace. Your words of solidarity have given Iranians the strength to fight for freedom. While Khamenei and his thugs call for ‘death to America’, the Iranian people take to the streets after you. They know you have their back and they know you will not abandon them like Obama and Biden. After the fall of this terrorist regime, they will be your best partner. Peace and prosperity are theirs.” Help them liberate and Make Iran Great Again!

He also claimed that a post-regime Iran would emerge as a close partner of the United States, focusing on stability, prosperity, and peaceful relations with the world. He argued that once free, the Iranian people would choose cooperation over conflict and rebuild the country’s global position.

His remarks come at a time when Iran continues to witness deadly unrest. According to Human Rights Activists (HRA) in Iran, at least 420 protesters, including eight children, have been killed in the last 15 days, CNN reported. The demonstrations, which began on December 28 as protests against rising inflation and worsening economic difficulties, later spread to cities and towns and turned into nationwide unrest, with violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Authorities responded with arrests, crackdowns and use of force. Human rights groups were alarmed by the high number of deaths and the treatment of detainees. While Iranian officials blame “rebels” and allegations of foreign intervention for the violence, they insist that legitimate economic grievances will be addressed.

The official tone in Iran has become even harsher. Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad said legal action against protesters will be uncompromising. He stated that the trial would be conducted “without tolerance, mercy and compromise”, according to Tasnim news agency, adding: “The charges against all the rebels are the same.”

As protests continue and international voices grow louder, Pahlavi’s call adds a new political dimension to the crisis, linking the future of the protest movement in Iran with direct appeals to the White House and the promise of a dramatically different Iran beyond the current leadership.