Iran crown prince: Israel weakened Iran regime. World must help finish the job | Exclusive

The Islamic Republic once again dragged Iran into a war that was not ours.

The missiles that flew between Tehran and Tel Aviv in recent days were the inevitable consequence of 46 years of terrorism, proxy warfare and reckless nuclear blackmail by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime.

But within this dangerous situation lies an unprecedented opportunity − one that the Iranian people intend to capitalize on and the international community cannot afford to miss. The regime's response will be brutal. It is a wounded animal and is already lashing out by arresting and attacking Iranians. 

The regime's response to Israel's strikes on nuclear facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership reveals everything the world needs to know about those who have hijacked my beloved Iran. While claiming to defend Iranian sovereignty, they have systematically destroyed it. While promising strength, they have made Iran weaker and more isolated than ever.

This was not Iran's war − it was Ali Khamenei’s. It was the response of a desperate, flailing regime.

Iranian people fill me with pride

For more than four decades, I have advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience as the path to Iran's liberation.

I have watched with immense pride as the Iranian people have risen time and again − in 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019 and most recently in 2022, after the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the "morality police."

Each uprising has grown stronger, each protest has been more unified and each time, more voices have joined the call for fundamental change. The regime's foundation is cracking, and these recent military exchanges might have weakened it to the point of collapse.

The Islamic Republic is profoundly weak. Behind the bluster and ballistic missiles lies a regime that has lost the support of its own people. Iranian protesters chant for the end of the Islamic Republic, desperately hoping for support to end this theocratic system. They know that external strikes − whether from Israel, the United States or another nation − will not achieve the fundamental transformation Iran needs.

Real change must come from within. It must come from the Iranian people themselves, through coordinated nationwide strikes, sustained civil disobedience and mass demonstrations that make it impossible for this regime to function. The power to liberate Iran lies not in foreign militaries, but in the hands of Iranian workers, students, women and all those who dream of freedom.

That is why the international community's support is so crucial at this pivotal moment. The world must impose maximum pressure on the regime while offering maximum support to the Iranian people.

This means comprehensive sanctions that target regime officials and their economic networks, while ensuring internet access reaches ordinary Iranians. It means amplifying the voices of Iranian civil society and providing secure communication tools that allow protesters to organize safely. It means diplomatic isolation of the regime while maintaining channels of support for the democratic opposition.

The timing has never been more favorable. The regime is internally divided, economically weakened and internationally isolated. Its military commanders know that continuing this path leads to destruction.

The officers and Revolutionary Guardsmen who reach out to me understand that their survival depends on abandoning Khamenei's failing leadership. Even regime insiders are beginning to consider whether their interests lie with a declining theocracy or a new, democratic Iran.

Iranians are ready to take to the streets

But windows of opportunity do not remain open indefinitely. The Iranian people are ready to finish what they have started in their previous rounds of protests. They are prepared to take to the streets in numbers that will dwarf previous uprisings.

What they need now is the knowledge that the world stands with them − not with empty words, but with concrete actions that tip the balance decisively in their favor.

The international community must understand that supporting the Iranian people's struggle for freedom is not just a moral imperative − it is a strategic necessity.

A democratic Iran would end the proxy wars that have destabilized the Middle East for decades. It would eliminate the nuclear threat that keeps the region on edge. It would restore Iran to its rightful place as a force for stability and progress rather than chaos and destruction.

The regime leaders' decision to escalate this conflict with Israel demonstrates their complete disregard for Iranian lives and interests. They are willing to risk everything to preserve their grip on power. This recklessness should serve as a final wake-up call to anyone who still believes this regime can be reformed or reasoned with.

Today's missiles may capture the world's attention, but tomorrow's freedom will be won in Iran's streets, factories and universities. The Iranian people have shown repeatedly that they possess the courage to confront tyranny. Now they need the international community to match their bravery with moral courage and meaningful support.

The regime is weak. The people are ready. The moment is here. Let us not allow it to pass.

Iran will be free, and when it is, the entire Middle East will be more peaceful and secure. The world must choose: Continue to manage this crisis, or help the Iranian people end it once and for all.

Reza Pahlavi is the crown prince of Iran. He has advocated from exile for nonviolent resistance to Iran's Islamic Republic for more than four decades.