Munich, Germany. Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi said U.S. military intervention in Iran could save lives and urged the Trump administration not to spend too long negotiating with Iran’s clerical rulers on a nuclear deal.
Comments at Munich Security Conference
Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah, told Reuters in an interview on Saturday that there were signs the Iranian government was on the brink of collapse and that an attack could weaken it or accelerate its fall. He spoke on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where officials from the Iranian government are banned.
“It’s a matter of time. We are hoping that this attack will expedite the process and the people can be finally back in the streets and take it all the way to the ultimate regime’s downfall,” Pahlavi said. He is based in the United States and has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Protests and crackdown
A campaign of mass arrests and intimidation has led to the arrests of thousands as Iranian authorities seek to deter further protests after last month’s crackdown on the bloodiest unrest since 1979. The protests began on December 28 as a modest demonstration in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic hardship and quickly spread nationwide.
U.S. talks with Iran and questions over support
Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions, including the monarchists who back Pahlavi, and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic. In an interview with Reuters last month, President Donald Trump sounded skeptical about the level of Pahlavi’s support inside Iran.
The Trump administration has engaged with Iran to see if a nuclear deal can be struck as Washington amassed military forces in the region. U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week, and further talks in the coming week are expected.
“People are hoping that at some point the decision will be made that there’s no use, there’s no point, we’re not going to get anywhere with negotiations. Therefore, that’s time for the United States to intervene and do what President Trump promised he will do, to have the people’s back,” Pahlavi said.
“Intervention is a way to save lives,” he added.
What do you think should determine whether the United States continues negotiations with Iran or turns to military intervention?
