Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on the international community to imagine "a world without the Islamic Republic" on Thursday in his Nowruz address to the Iranian people.
"Imagine the Middle East liberated from the shadow of nuclear blackmail and threats," he said. "Imagine our region without endless proxy wars, extremist ideologies, and terrorism - all driven by a regime whose policies have caused mass migration, instability, and suffering far beyond Iran’s borders.
"Imagine a Western world free from hostage-taking and Western troops and taxpayers free of the burden of endless wars in far-off lands," loosely referring to the hundreds of hostages the Hamas terrorist organization, a proxy of the Islamic Republic, took on October 7, 2023.
Pahlavi added that, in juxtaposition to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime, Iran would contribute to "regional stability, global security, and economic growth," with him adding that without the regime, the country would enrich the region through its innovation and culture.
Targeting Khamenei directly, Pahlavi added that the ayatollah "has falsely claimed to represent Iran. It holds no legitimacy, no mandate, and no rightful place in our history."
More opposition to the Islamic Republic from the Iranian people
Pahlavi added that the Iranian people overwhelmingly oppose the current regime.
The same day Pahlavi issued his Nowruz message, Iranian citizens were also seen gathering at the Tomb of Ferdowsi in the city of Tus in the northeastern part of the country, where they denounced the Islamic Republic in support of the last Shah of Iran.
"The Shah will return to his home and Zahhak will be overthrown," Pahlavi's Office quoted protesters as saying in a X/Twitter post. Zahhak is a villainous figure in Persian mythology in the national epic Shahnameh.
On Norooz Iranians are gathering at monuments across Iran to defy Ali Khamenei's Islamic Republic and chant in support of Prince Reza Pahlavi to lead the transition to democracy.A thread ..."Reza, Reza Pahlavi, this the national slogan!" at the Tomb of Ferdowsi#Nowruz pic.twitter.com/Xa6cYbBNiB
— Reza Pahlavi Communications (@PahlaviComms) March 20, 2025
At the Tomb of Hafez in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, Iranians sang the song "Ey Iran" as a form of protest against the regime. Praise of Pahlavi was also heard at the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyam in northeastern Iran.
"Together, we can dismantle the Islamic Republic and end decades of global terror, blackmail, and hostage-taking. I extend our hand in friendship and partnership - to our neighbors from Israel and the Arab states, to our steadfast allies in the West. I extend this friendship with the hope that you will stand with the people of Iran and help us usher in this new day.
Pahlavi concludes his statement by saying that a "new Iran" without the Islamic Republic "is no longer a distant dream, but a reality being forged today by the hands of its own people."
Confident that the Islamic Republic will no longer be Iran's government, he says that "the question is not whether Iran will be free, but which nations will with us in the fight and make our victory sweeter."