The government employees are faced with a choice, writes Reza Pahlavi on social media: “to stand on the side of the people and become allies with the nation, or to choose to become accomplices to the people’s murderers”.
From exile in the United States, Pahlavi fuels the protest wave in Iran and calls for a popular uprising. How much influence he now has is uncertain, but the AP news agency has previously reported that the demonstrations include slogans in support of the shah – chants that in years past could lead to death sentences in Iran.
Possible new leader
Pahlavi has been highlighted by many as a possible leader for a future Iran. The country has seen several large protest movements come and go, but after the twelve-day war against Israel in June, observers believe that the regime in Tehran is weaker than it has been in a long time.
The mullahs in Iran came to power because of popular discontent with the Pahlavi royal family. The Islamic Republic was founded in 1979 after the then 17-year-old Reza Pahlavi’s father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown by the people.
