Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi warned Sunday against any move to appoint a successor to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, declaring that such an attempt would lack legitimacy and would exacerbate the crisis ravaging the Islamic Republic.
In a statement published on theThis statement came immediately after Iran announced that Ayatollah Arfi is the next interim supreme leader.
With his shameful death, and the death of many of his appointees and loyalists, the Islamic Republic breathes its last.
“With your determination and courage, you will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history,” he wrote. Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes carried out early Saturday, setting off the succession process in Tehran and intensifying political tensions inside and outside Iran. Pahlavi called for the “complete fall of the Islamic Republic” and urged state officials to hand over power. “Surrender to the people of Iran.
Declare your loyalty to my program and the transitional framework. And hand over power without shedding more blood.”He also warned against installing a new supreme leader. “Any attempt by the remnants of the regime to appoint a successor to Khamenei is doomed to failure from the beginning. Anyone they put in his place will not only lack legitimacy, but will also be complicit in the crimes of this regime.” In his speech to Iran’s armed forces, police and security services, Pahlavi urged them to stand with the public. He added: “Your weapons should be in defense of the great Iranian nation, not the criminal republic nor the anti-Iranian thugs and bandits,” and called on them to “join the Iranian people and the Lion and Sun Revolution.” He also appealed to Iranians abroad to amplify international support, urging them to “inform the world of the Iranian people’s support for this humanitarian intervention, and our demand for the complete collapse of the regime.”“The passing of Al-Dahhak in our time, although it marks the beginning of our great national celebration, is not the end of the road,” Pahlavi wrote. “Stay vigilant. Stay prepared. The time for a massive and decisive presence in the streets is approaching.”This statement comes at a time of uncertainty in Iran’s leadership, as the country is going through a sensitive political transition after Khamenei’s death.
