Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran and son of the last shah who was overthrown in the 1979 revolution, has called upon European leaders to endorse the military campaign spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump. Pahlavi argues that the current regime of Iran, represented by the ayatollahs, is on the verge of collapse, largely due to recent Israeli and U.S. military assaults that have reportedly resulted in the deaths of prominent Iranian leaders, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Europe’s initial response to the military actions has been cautious and fragmented, offering limited support for the airstrikes. Pahlavi, however, views these strikes as a critical step towards promoting democracy in Iran, emphasizing that the military campaign should be framed as a humanitarian mission aimed at saving lives rather than purely a strategic military invasion. His perspective highlights a growing rift between how the U.S. and European nations perceive the urgency and nature of intervention in Iran.

Pahlavi commended the European Union’s recent designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization but insists that this is not enough. He is advocating for stronger and more active support for the U.S.-led offensive, asserting that such actions are essential in the swift transition from theocratic rule to a democratic governance structure in Iran, potentially impacting the stability of the broader region.