Son of Ousted Shah Urges Iranians to Seize City Centers After “Magnificent” Turnout
Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah, commended Friday’s “magnificent” turnout and urged Iranians to mount more targeted demonstrations this weekend, calling on them to seize and hold city centers, according to AFP.
“Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers,” Pahlavi said in a video message on social media.
Pahlavi, son of the late shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was toppled in the 1979 revolution, declared that he is “preparing to return to my homeland,” a moment he believes is coming “very near.”
Fears of Repression
As the world raises mounting fears of repression, activists warned that the internet blackout could conceal a harsh crackdown by authorities.
Moreover, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group confirmed at least 51 deaths so far.
Meanwhile, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi warned Friday that security forces may be preparing to carry out a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout.”
Authorities reported that several security personnel had been killed, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a defiant speech on Friday, denouncing “vandals” and pledged that the Islamic Republic would “not back down.”
Khamenei also accused the United States of fueling the unrest in Iran.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump again declined to rule out new military action against Tehran, following Washington’s involvement in Israel’s 12‑day war with the Islamic Republic in June.
“Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Trump said.
When asked about his message to Iran’s leadership, Trump warned: “You better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.”
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