In a video message titled the "New Pact," the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi defended the widespread protests and strikes inside Iran, saying that the protesters sought to "save" their country.
Released on Monday, September 28, Pahlavi advocated for the establishment of democracy in Iran, saying in his message that "isolation, social collapse, frustration, and despair are the only achievements of the 41-year-old Islamic rule. This system is not reformable."
Calling the "New Pact" as an "all peoples' pact," Pahlavi said that protesters' motivations "were not to take political power" but rather to create "a system in which political power is "not monopolized by any individual or group" and "everyone is equally responsible for making key decisions."
Pahlavi said he sought to redirect Iran on the "right path" and the first step to achieve that would be "leaving the Islamic Republic behind." He called for increased participation and responsibility of citizens inside and outside the country, asserting, "Let us link strikes, protests and civil disobedience in different parts of the country," and also advocated for civil disobedience in the workplace.
Addressing Iran's Army forces, Pahlavi claimed that Iran's Islamic regime is selling the country's resources and shooting at innocent citizens, running counter to the Army's duty to defend the people. Pahlavi referred to the commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Baseej (the so-called mobilization forces) as "thieving warlords" who only care about "lining their pockets," saying that by turning the IRGC into an anti-people body, Iranian officials have paralyzed the country.
Pahlavi stressed that "no individual or group alone can save us," describing the present era as a "most critical moment" and calling on citizens to ask themselves whether they stood on the side of the Islamic Republic or that of Iran. Highlighting the plight of minorities and workers across Iran, Pahlavi reminded listeners, "We are stronger than the oppressors."
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