Berlin, Germany. Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s former Shah, appealed to Western countries to join the war against Iran and criticised the German government’s decision not to meet him during a visit to Berlin. He accused Europe of allowing Tehran to continue what he described as bloody repression of protests.
Call for Western action
Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in the 1979 revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power, told a press conference in Berlin that change in Iran was inevitable and questioned how many Iranians would die while Western democracies “continue to merely watch.”
Demonstrations and detention in Berlin
Demonstrations by both supporters and opponents took place in central Berlin. One person was detained after Pahlavi, who made an appearance, was spattered with some form of red liquid.
Opposition leadership and divisions
Pahlavi, who has spent most of his life in exile, emerged as a potential opposition leader after anti-government protests erupted in Tehran and other Iranian cities last year. The opposition movements are described as deeply divided, and many Western governments have been cautious about endorsing him because it remains unclear what support he has, nearly half a century after his father’s reign ended.
War and international positions
European countries, including Germany, have ruled out joining the United States and Israel, which opened the war on February 28 with a wave of airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Conflict stalemate and Strait of Hormuz blockades
Pahlavi’s visit came as efforts to end the conflict appeared to have stalled, with Iran and the United States both maintaining blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for around a fifth of the world’s oil.
Criticism of German government
Pahlavi said it was a shame that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government had not offered a meeting during his trip. He said democracies were entitled to talk to whoever they wanted.
What do you think Western governments should do in response to Pahlavi’s call to join the war against Iran?
