Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi says 50,000 defectors ready to help topple regime
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, claims that over 50,000 current or former Iranian officials, military personnel, and security agents have signed up to support a coordinated effort to bring down the Islamic Republic regime.
Pahlavi, who has positioned himself as a figurehead for Iran’s future democratic transition, told that the defectors had registered through a secure channel created by his opposition network. His goal, he said, is to build direct ties with key individuals inside the military and security apparatus in order to lay the groundwork for regime change, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
“Every week we have additional numbers coming,” Pahlavi said in a phone interview. “Clearly, we have to analyze the data, it’s an arduous process, but the signals are quite strong. We are giving top priority to key elements within those designated segments.”
A separate platform will soon be launched for ordinary Iranians to express their interest in joining the movement, he added.
Pahlavi’s announcement comes as he prepares to host the Convention of National Cooperation on Saturday in Munich, a major gathering of more than 500 anti-regime activists, artists, former athletes, and political dissidents. The event, according to Pahlavi, will be one of the most inclusive and diverse meetings of the Iranian opposition since the 1979 revolution.
The conference will promote three core principles:
Preserving Iran’s territorial integrity
Protecting civil liberties and equal rights for all citizens
Ensuring the separation of religion and state
While supporters continue to view him as Iran’s “crown prince,” critics argue that Pahlavi has not sufficiently unified the fragmented opposition during his decades in exile. Some believe that, as a royal figure, he is not the ideal leader for a future secular republic.
Pahlavi acknowledged the criticism but emphasized the inclusive nature of Saturday’s event. “More than ever, we have a growing coalition of like-minded people who want to work together — perhaps the largest gathering ever … representing all factions within the Iranian political sphere,” he said.
To reach Iranians inside the country, the conference speeches will be streamed online through illicitly smuggled satellite services, including Starlink, allowing access to uncensored internet.
The developments come as Iran resumes nuclear negotiations with European powers in Turkey, following the joint U.S.-Israeli bombing of key Iranian military and nuclear sites in June. Pahlavi, however, warned against trusting the Islamic Republic, arguing that diplomacy only buys Tehran more time to prolong its rule.
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