Prince Reza Pahlavi: Khamenei's War Against Israel is Neither National Nor Patriotic

Prince Reza Pahlavi emphasized the nearing end of the Islamic Republic's warmongering through 'proxy terrorists' in a social media post, stating that Ali Khamenei is 'gradually moving closer to a direct war that he cannot win.' He noted that Israel's retaliatory operations deep inside Iranian territory in response to the IRGC's missile launches 'showed that after four decades of rule, billions of dollars spent, and years of noise and bravado, the Islamic Republic has left Iran's skies defenseless against the air force of a much smaller and less populated country.' He remarked that 'the destruction of radar and air defense systems, and the missile facilities of the Islamic Republic, is indeed a humiliation for the military force of a country whose air force and air defense were once the envy of the region.' Prince Reza Pahlavi reminded that 'the power of Iran's air force before the 1979 disaster was the result of sound economic and foreign policies that prioritized peace from a position of strength.' He added that 'the current disgrace and misery is the result of four decades of the Islamic Republic's warmongering and bluster, along with its economic corruption and inefficiency,' asserting that the Islamic Republic's war with Israel is 'neither national nor patriotic.' The son of the late king of Iran stated, 'The Iranian people know that the Islamic Republic is a vital threat to the welfare, dignity, and freedom of Iranians and the existence and integrity of Iran.' He stressed, 'As long as the Islamic Republic exists, the threat of war will also exist; and it will become more frequent and dangerous every day.' Prince Reza Pahlavi stated, 'The solution is to overthrow this anti-national regime and revive a national government based on human rights, democracy, and national interests in Iran.' He addressed the military and security forces, saying, 'My message to the military and security forces is clear: The great Iranian nation will sooner or later take to the streets again, like in December 2017, November 2019, and the Mahsa uprising, to reclaim Iran.' He continued, 'On that day, if not for human dignity and national interests, stand with the nation for your future and your family's future. Because the achievements of the Islamic Republic are misery for Iran and death and humiliation for you; whereas our national revolution will bring prosperity and life for all Iranians.' On the evening of Tuesday, October 24, he also stated at the Richard Nixon Foundation, 'The winds of war are blowing in our region, but this war is not the people of Iran's war; it is a dictator's war, namely Ali Khamenei.' Additionally, the Israeli army announced on Saturday, November 5, that 'precise and targeted' attacks on military targets of the Islamic Republic in various regions of Iran have ended, and Israeli planes have successfully returned to their bases. These attacks were in response to the firing of over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel by the Iranian government on September 30. The Islamic Republic had also fired 320 projectiles, including suicide drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, at Israel on April 14. The U.S. stated that the Iranian government should not continue to escalate the conflict. Senior U.S. officials traveled to the Middle East to reduce tensions. Reports indicate that 'all of the Islamic Republic's S-300 defense systems were destroyed in the Israeli attack.' Experts noted that Israel's military operations rendered the IRGC's rhetoric ineffective. The Associated Press reported that an undeclared missile base in Shahroud was damaged in the Israeli attack. Israel warned that any further aggression by the Iranian government would have 'rapid, painful, and decisive' consequences. Reports also indicated that Israel 'broke the backbone' of the Islamic Republic's missile industry.