Reza Pahlavi, son of exiled Shah Reza Pahlavi, waves to his supporters after being attacked with red liquid
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was sprayed with red liquid – believed to be tomato juice – on Thursday as he exited a building in Berlin in an attack caught on camera.A video clip showed Reza Pahlavi walking on the sidewalk, surrounded by his security team and others, when liquid was thrown at him from behind.
The 65-year-old, who lives in the US, appeared unharmed although liquid was covering the back of his jacket and neck. He waved to his supporters before getting into the car, which drove away. Police later said the substance appeared to be tomato juice.The incident occurred outside the federal press conference building in the German capital shortly after he left a press conference, where he criticized the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
US President Donald Trump extended the truce amid uncertainty regarding the second round of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, as the first round of talks, held on April 11 and 12, ended in failure.The suspected attacker, whose identity has not been revealed in line with German privacy laws, was arrested at the scene.Pahlavi is the son of the last Shah of Iran, whose rule ended in 1979 when mass protests ousted him from power, paving the way for the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
Now living in exile for nearly five decades, he seeks to present himself as a figure in Iran’s future, although the extent of his support inside the country remains unclear.The Islamic Republic is at war with the United States and Israel following joint strikes launched by the allies against their common foe on February 28. The conflict has since spread throughout the Middle East.
Bhalavi on the ceasefire between the United States and Iran
Pahlavi, who did not meet any German government representative during his visit to Berlin, said the ceasefire assumes that Tehran’s behavior will “change” and that its leadership will suddenly act as pragmatists.“I don’t expect that to happen. I’m not saying that diplomacy shouldn’t be given a chance, but I think it’s been given enough of a chance,” he said.He is preparing himself for a possible return to power if the Shiite theocracy in Iran collapses, and he has also supported US-Israeli military intervention in the Middle East.In Berlin, Pahlavi urged European countries to “do more” to support Iranians demanding democracy. It was claimed that the Iranian authorities executed 19 political prisoners in the past two weeks, and 20 others were sentenced to death.“Will the free world act or watch the carnage in silence?” he asked.More than an hour after the incident, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement that the government “welcomes the extension of the ceasefire.”“This represents an important opportunity to resume diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad with the aim of securing peace and preventing further escalation,” the statement read.(with AP input)
