Reza Pahlavi: Call for regime change in Iran | EUROtoday

As the bloodshed in mass protests in opposition to Iran’s authoritarian authorities continues, based on activists, US President Donald Trump desires to stress the Islamic Republic with new tariffs. All international locations that do enterprise with Iran shall be topic to punitive tariffs of 25 % of the worth of the products on imports into the United States with rapid impact, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform. However, his temporary announcement left many questions unanswered.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah who was overthrown in 1979 and dwelling in exile within the United States, hopes that the United States will intervene sooner slightly than later. “The best way to ensure that fewer people are killed in Iran is to intervene early so that this regime finally collapses and all the problems we face come to an end,” Pahlavi stated in an interview with CBS News.

Trump stated on Sunday that the USA was taking the state of affairs in Iran very significantly. “The military is looking into this and we are looking at some very drastic options. We will make a decision.” According to US media studies, Trump is scheduled to satisfy along with his nationwide safety staff right now.

The human rights group Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), based mostly in Oslo, put the variety of deaths for the reason that protests broke out on the finish of December at not less than 648. The human rights community HRANA, based mostly within the USA, additionally spoke of just about 650 deaths. These embrace 505 demonstrators – together with 9 youngsters – and 133 army and law enforcement officials. According to some estimates, greater than 6,000 individuals could have been killed, the group IHRNGO wrote on X. According to some estimates, the variety of arrests exceeds greater than 10,000. The data can’t at the moment be independently verified – additionally because of the ongoing web and telecommunications blockade.

Meanwhile, the American information portal Axios reported, citing a White House official, that Trump was inclined to assault targets in Iran. However, he’s stated to haven’t but decided and is at the moment analyzing Iranian negotiation proposals. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted US particular envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend to debate the protests, the information portal quoted two knowledgeable sources as saying.

Trump’s temporary announcement of tariffs for international locations doing enterprise with Iran left it unclear precisely what his language about international locations “doing business with Iran” encompasses. The White House initially didn’t publish a presidential decree on tariffs. Trump has usually introduced new tariffs or will increase in current import charges, a few of which had been then withdrawn or postponed.

The most necessary buying and selling companions of the Islamic Republic, which is topic to intensive sanctions by the USA and the EU, embrace China, India, the Emirates and Turkey. But EU international locations comparable to Germany additionally conduct small quantities of commerce with Iran.

Meanwhile, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul known as for harder measures in opposition to the management in Tehran after a gathering with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. We see an “unjust regime” with out legitimacy among the many folks that makes use of means in opposition to its personal inhabitants “that violate all the rules of humanity,” stated Wadephul.

Wadephul introduced that the federal authorities would attempt to lengthen sanctions to the Iranian management. This features a itemizing within the European Union’s terror sanctions regime. This has not but been applied as a result of it requires unanimity within the EU. He known as on member states to re-examine the difficulty in gentle of the violent crackdown on demonstrators.

Pahlavi stated on CBS that the federal government in Tehran was making an attempt to “trick” the world by pretending it was prepared to barter a method out of the unrest. The essential turning level could be “if this regime realized that it can no longer rely on a continued campaign of repression without the world responding,” Pahlavi stated.

When requested by CBS whether or not he was urging Trump to provoke regime change, he stated Trump is in solidarity with the individuals of Iran, which implies Trump finally helps their calls for. “And their demand is that this regime must disappear,” he added. Pahlavi, who was as soon as appointed crown prince by his authoritarian father, the Shah of Persia, has been dwelling in exile within the USA for many years.

Pahlavi claims a future management function in Iran and factors to the chants of his identify throughout the protests. But how a lot help he really has inside the nation is unclear. Pahlavi repeatedly sought help from Washington, together with explicitly from Trump.