Prince Reza Pahlavi: The People Did Not Submit to the 'Election Circus'; The Destruction of the 'Regime' is Inevitable

In an exclusive interview with Voice of America, Prince Reza Pahlavi emphasized that the people of Iran have sent a message to both the Islamic Republic and the world that they will no longer submit to the 'election circus'. He stated that the destruction of this regime will certainly happen, and Iranians will not forget which Western countries helped them in their struggle for overthrowing it. Referring to the minimal participation of Iranians in the 'election circus', he noted that 'over these 45 years, it has become clearer than ever that the majority of society has given a big no to the entirety of the Islamic Republic.' According to him, this 'election circus' was a 'referendum on the continuation of this regime', and Iranian society has shown that it has reached a 'maturity and understanding' that 'the people's vote' is not what matters, but rather 'the preservation of the regime is important'. The Islamic Republic wants to 'show the world that it has legitimacy', but the people sent a message to the world with their minimal participation that 'the majority of Iranian society has moved beyond the entire Islamic Republic.' Prince Reza Pahlavi stressed that the economic situation in Iran is not dependent on 'an election and a president', and 'the entirety of the Islamic Republic has brought the country to this level of bankruptcy'. He pointed out that it is not just the 'poorer classes' who did not participate in the government elections, but 'many at higher levels also do not believe in this regime and they too did not participate in the government elections.' He regarded sanctions as 'one of the tools of civil disobedience' and stated that 'the motivation for alignment, solidarity, and a common no to the regime must continue.' The prince added that 'reaching the end of the current regime includes various civil campaigns, and we must take this phase beyond these appointments; there are many joint projects that can take shape inside and outside to move from the stage of hope for a better future to the belief that we can achieve it.' Prince Reza Pahlavi, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps being listed as a terrorist group by Canada and the role of the Iranian-Canadian community in achieving that, said: 'Gradually, broader coordination can be established in influential European countries. Part of my campaign is how we can be an influential expatriate community and compel these countries to apply maximum pressure on the regime while providing maximum support [for the people of Iran]. The IRGC is one of the main factors and its hand is almost everywhere, whether in terms of internal repression or regional movements and many activities conducted on European soil.' Regarding the government 'elections' to determine a successor to Raisi from among the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic, he said that the 'red line' for candidates, 'whether reformist or principlist', is the leader, and 'the final word is spoken by Mr. Khamenei', effectively stating that Khamenei tells the people to choose one of his servants. According to Prince Reza Pahlavi, 'the people of Iran have come to the conclusion that we will not get anywhere with this regime, and the world must realize that as long as this regime exists, many of the problems the world faces, including the threat of terrorism and the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, will persist, and solving them is entirely dependent on how this regime is neutralized.' He added: 'We ask the world to support the legitimate demands of the people of Iran in determining their own destiny if they claim to be countries that defend human rights. This is beneficial for both the people of Iran and for themselves.' Prince Reza Pahlavi also noted that 'the regime uses every trick to play with the people again', adding: 'The issue is that Iranian society has reached a political maturity that it will not be deceived by these maneuvers, and no matter how much the regime tries to create excuses or false conflicts, the entirety of the regime is what matters to the people.' He emphasized: 'What lever of this regime is left that they have not revealed? We have passed this stage, and the people of Iran understand that all their troubles will be resolved when this regime is gone. The people have come to the conclusion that our problem will not be solved with this person or that person within this regime, and minimal participation has completely proven this.' In another part of this detailed interview, Prince Reza Pahlavi condemned any violence and abusive language against those who have decided to vote, saying: 'Any violence and abuse against those who have decided to vote is condemned.' He stated that 'perhaps the regime is behind the incidents to prevent unity among the opposition', and 'we must show that we are different from the regime.' Prince Reza Pahlavi, citing examples from his conversations with people inside Iran, said that the majority 'have moved beyond this regime', and 'day by day, the dependency on the system is decreasing, and more people are questioning the entirety of the regime'; 'this understanding is more hopeful that we are dealing with a generation that is no longer deceived, and that is why the issue for the majority of the people of Iran is clear that they want to move beyond [the regime]. The important thing in the future beyond this regime is that it can also be planned.' The prince emphasized that 'the biggest issue is reaching the point of the regime's collapse, and the focus should be on this with the knowledge that there is a plan for the transitional period and behind it a healthy management for afterwards.' He also added: 'We do not make empty promises as an alternative and believe that as soon as this regime is gone, the internet will be freed, all forms of gender and religious discrimination will disappear, entrenched mafia corruption will be set aside, and finally, we can have a more open and healthy economy. I believe this is achievable, and I know the main tools are inside Iran, and they can fill this gap very quickly.' Prince Reza Pahlavi stated: 'I am talking about a future where people have the right to participate, the right to vote, equal rights, human rights are respected, and the entire society is viewed equally, not divided in a discriminatory manner by ethnicity and religion... What the people ultimately choose and who they will elect is a process.' According to him, the Iranian political opposition from various factions and tendencies that 'believe in a democratic and secular future' has as their 'main duty' today 'to fight against the Islamic Republic' and to strive for 'the fall of the regime and to assist in the process of temporary management of the country during the transition and to provide conditions for the earliest possible election of a constituent assembly.' Prince Reza Pahlavi added that to achieve 'the delineation and boundaries for party competition in future elections', a 'legal process' must be followed for the formation of a constituent assembly, and that 'what the shape and content of the regime will be, we cannot pre-determine for the people and prescribe a solution; these discussions will be conducted by the constituent assembly.' He emphasized the necessity of freedom of expression and media after the Islamic Republic, stating: 'The free flow of information is one of the first tools for empowering a nation. All dictatorial and totalitarian governments fear the awareness of the people, and their first action is to create barriers to access to information. If we believe that a country deserves something better and has the right to make its own decisions, why should we be afraid? Any form of censorship is the beginning of a new kind of dictatorship against the freedom of the people.' The second round of voting among the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic for the succession of Ebrahim Raisi will be held on Friday, July 6. According to government statistics, a vast majority of Iranians did not participate in the first round of this political event, which opponents describe as 'election circus' and 'mock elections'. Opponents argue that there is 'no difference' among the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic from both reformist and principlist branches, and some consider participation in government elections as 'a vote for more killings and repression.' Khamenei's admission of minimal participation in the government 'elections': 'If you love the Islamic Republic, vote'; 77% of Tehran and 60% of Iran said 'no' to the regime's candidates; the voting was drawn out to a second round with Pezeshkian and Jalili; reactions to the faint presence of people in the government voting of the Islamic Republic; the opposition's response to the regime's 'fake reforms': 'We will not put our fingers in the bloody ballot box of the Islamic Republic.' Prince Reza Pahlavi on the anniversary of Neda Agha-Soltan: 'The path to victory does not go through fake ballot boxes.'