Iran is on the cusp of a possible revolution, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi said in an interview with The Telegraph published Sunday, calling on Western countries to brace for the historic change.
“Iran is in a revolutionary, or at the very least, a pre-revolutionary fervor," the son of Iran's last monarch said.
"It’s escalating every day. All the chants you hear on the streets, all the protests, all the demonstrations that specifically call for an end to this regime, death to the dictator, death to the Islamic Republic.”
"There is a critical window of opportunity to change history. It may only be open for a few months,” he added, calling on Western governments to support the momentum seen in Iran as the government faces its lowest legitimacy since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
Pahlavi rejected military intervention, arguing that Western powers should instead apply pressure on the Iranian government and the people's movement.
“What we’ve been saying to the Americans, the Europeans, is let’s not jump directly from failed diplomacy to contemplating conflict and war,” he said. “There’s a third option and [it is] the best option – the Iranian people.”
Pahlavi also emphasized the importance of defections from within the Iranian state, including military and security personnel, to ensure a transition with minimal bloodshed.
“We don’t want to encourage a scenario that leads to anarchy, rather a controlled implosion,” he said. “But it cannot happen unless you have the tacit collaboration of military and paramilitary forces.”
He said justice will be brought to the people involved in Iran's mass crackdowns which have seen record numbers of executions since 2022 and hundreds killed in protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amin.
“Those who have their hands soiled with the blood of the people will have to face justice one day. But I’m not talking about kangaroo trials,” he said.
Pahlavi also said he supports US President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy on Iran but believes it should be paired with “maximum support” for opposition movements.
“Is there a historic opportunity for change to happen? We believe yes,” he said. “But I think that the failure of Western policymakers to catch up to where Iran is now could impede our success in finding a resolution to the ultimate problem.”
A video showcasing the interactive installation at Tajrish station established by the Tehran municipality and run by the Daughters of the Revolution group aired on state television Tuesday.
The group, known for promoting an Islamic lifestyle and championing the Islamic veil is headed by Bahareh Jangravi, who said the project was a means of spreading the importance of wearing the hijab, in the wake of a national mass rebellion against the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code.
The video shows women whose attire violates hijab rules weeping in the room. They are then offered headscarves by metro officials and encouraged to comply with the theocracy's strict regulations.
Concerns have also been raised on social media platforms about the authenticity of the video, with some suggesting that the women depicted either paid actors or women acting under duress.
Jangravi explained that her group's name, "Daughters of the Revolution," was chosen in response to the "Girls of Enghelab (Revolution) Street" movement, a wave of symbolic protests against mandatory hijab inspired by activist Vida Movahed's 2017 public act of defiance.
The interactive installation also features images of slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and other figures revered by the Islamic Republic.
They include the slain commander of the IRGC foreign operations arm Qassem Soleimani and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The two figures revered by Iran's military-clerical establishment were killed by the United States and Israel, respectively.
The exhibit is a scaled model of the shrine of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Muslim Imam. Through VR goggles, visitors can explore a lifelike virtual rendering of the actual shrine and its surroundings in Karbala, Iraq.
The initiative has drawn widespread criticism, with many viewing the room as an inappropriate use of public space to enforce the government's ideological agenda.
Critics question the municipality's involvement, arguing it oversteps its mandate and diverts resources from pressing urban issues.
Similar controversies have surrounded previous actions by the municipality, such as the deployment of "hijab guards" in metro stations and the burial of "unknown martyrs" at universities and recreational sites, along with the construction of mosques in parks.
The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle over hijab enforcement in Iran since the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protest movement following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police in September 2022.
A large number of women in Tehran and other major cities continue to defy the mandatory hijab, a trend that began with the 2022 protests.
The widespread non-compliance has strained police enforcement efforts, prompting the government to explore alternative methods, including a controversial new bill that emphasizes fines, deprivation of public services and the so-called cultural initiatives over direct confrontation.
