Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Vows to Lead Iran's Democratic Transition

"The Iranian people have called for me to lead," Pahlavi said at a news conference in Washington. "I reaffirm my lifelong pledge by stepping in to lead the movement that will take back our country."

He said his connection with Iranians predated exile. "The bond between me and the Iranian people is not new. It's been with me since birth," he said, adding, "I pledged my life to the service of the Iranian nation."

Pahlavi said he believed he could ensure an orderly transition. "I am uniquely positioned to ensure a stable transition," he said, asserting that "large sections of the army and security forces have already refused to participate in the killing of civilians."

According to Pahlavi, defections were already underway. "Tens of thousands have already signalled their readiness to defect," he said, adding that many were from the police, military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "We are vetting them as we are speaking," he said.

He said his approach was aimed at avoiding chaos. "We're not talking about disintegration. We're not talking about a failed state," he said, stressing that security forces would be needed to maintain order and protect civilians during the transition.

Pahlavi outlined a post-regime roadmap beginning with a transitional government. He said that after the regime's collapse, a temporary authority would oversee basic services, stabilise the country and organise a democratic process.

"The minute the regime collapses, the transitional government takes control," he said, explaining that a referendum would allow Iranians to decide the future system of governance. "Whatever the majority of the Iranian people decide," he said, would determine whether the country becomes a republic or a monarchy.

He said a constitutional assembly would draft a new constitution, which would be submitted to the public for approval. "The nation will have the opportunity to either ratify that proposed constitution, or if not, send it back," he said.

Pahlavi stressed that his role would end once the process was complete. "The transitional government dissolves itself and passes over the responsibility and the authority to the newly elected government," he said.

Iran has been governed as an Islamic republic since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979, with power concentrated in clerical institutions and the supreme leadership. Opposition movements inside and outside the country have long debated potential pathways for political change.

- IANS