U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned whether Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, would be able to command enough support inside Iran to lead the country if its clerical leadership were to fall.
Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Trump said Pahlavi appeared “very nice” but suggested it was unclear how much backing he would have among Iranians themselves.
Trump suggested that political change in Iran would ultimately have to come from within.
“It’s not for us to decide,” he said, indicating reluctance to be seen as shaping Iran’s leadership from abroad - a sensitive issue given the country’s history of foreign intervention.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” Trump told Reuters.
The comments come amid continuing unrest in Iran and renewed debate over who could emerge as a viable alternative to the current regime.
Reza Pahlavi, 65, has lived in exile in the U.S. since the 1979 revolution that overthrew his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and brought the current supreme leader to power.
In recent years, and particularly since widespread protests erupted across Iran, he has sought to position himself as a unifying figure for opposition groups calling for democratic change.
In an interview with CBS News earlier this week, Reza Pahlavi told the U.S. broadcaster that he was “ready to die for liberty,” in Iran.
While Washington has repeatedly condemned Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, the U.S. administration has stopped short of openly backing any single opposition leader.
Iran has experienced waves of anti-government protests over recent years, driven by economic hardship, political repression and demands for greater personal freedoms. Security forces have responded forcefully, with thousands reportedly arrested and killed, according to human rights groups.
The Iranian government has dismissed opposition figures abroad and accuses Western governments of fuelling unrest.
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Iran on Thursday (15 January) at the request of the United States.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million peop...
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S...
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships ...
The U.S. plans to seek the redirection of Iranian assets to Gulf states to help fund reconstruction and repairs for damage attributed to Iran, a sourc...
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said....
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Saturday, leaving several people injured.
An ageing, poorly insured shadow armada now accounts for around one-sixth of the world's tanker fleet. Hidden by design and fraught with risk, it operates beyond conventional oversight. A maritime law expert explains how it works, who profits, and why much of the world looks the other way.
The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), the ambitious multimodal transit corridor designed to connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, has moved rapidly from political declaration to practical implementation.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with around 600 mothers dying for every 100,000 live births.
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swimming trips.
A seven-month-old Palestinian baby has been killed and his parents injured after Israeli forces fired at a vehicle in Hebron, Palestinian health officials say.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment