Latest news with #Post-ayatollah
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exiled prince warns Iranian military of 'final chance' to stand up to the regime
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi is pushing for regime change in Tehran, asserting that the regime is "near collapse." In a post on X, Pahlavi encouraged the people of Iran to rise up and warned military personnel that this is their "final chance" to stand with the public against the regime. "To the military—as you're given orders to lash out at the people—stand down. This is your final chance. You are being watched. We will remember who stood with the people and who committed crimes against them," Pahlavi wrote on X. Exiled Prince Looks To Lead Iranian People In Ending Islamic Republic: 'Our Berlin Wall Moment' On Monday, Pahlavi held a news conference in Paris, where he announced the launch of a secure platform for military, police and security personnel looking to defect from the regime to contact him and his team. He implied that he was already receiving such messages, saying that the platform would "efficiently manage the growing volume of inbound communications and requests from those breaking with the regime and seeking to join our movement." The exiled prince also issued a message to the world, urging the international community to let the "corrupt, crumbling, terrorist regime" in Iran fall. Read On The Fox News App "Do not prop up a regime that will, soon again, turn its guns, missiles, and terror toward you," Pahlavi wrote. Here's What A Post-ayatollah Iran Could Look Like If War With Israel Leads To Regime's Fall The message posted on X comes one day after Pahlavi proposed that he lead Iran to democracy. He said it is the Iranian people's "Berlin Wall moment," as the future of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime remains uncertain following the destruction of Tehran's nuclear program. Khamenei was reportedly hiding in a bunker during the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. "I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road to peace and a democratic transition," Pahlavi said on Monday. "I do not seek political power, but rather to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice." In a direct message to Khamenei, Pahlavi said, "Step down. And if you do, you will receive a fair trial and due process of law. Which is more than you have ever given any Iranian." Pahlavi's late father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In February, Pahlavi spoke at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, where he called for international action against Khamenei's regime and said Iranians were ready to reclaim their "stolen country."Original article source: Exiled prince warns Iranian military of 'final chance' to stand up to the regime
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Frontrunners emerge as Iranian officials discuss possible successors to Khamenei: report
Multiple frontrunners are emerging to succeed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the 86-year-old has gone into hiding during Israel and the United States' joint military campaign against the Islamic Republic, a report said. A three-man committee appointed by Khamenei to identify his successor has ramped up its activity in recent days following repeated waves of airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program, Reuters reported, citing five sources with knowledge of the discussions. Two names rising to the top of the list are Mojtaba Khamenei – the ayatollah's 56-year-old son who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019 – and Hassan Khomeini, the 53-year-old grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, according to the sources. "Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the Supreme Leader, is designated... for representing the Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father," the Treasury Department said in 2019 while sanctioning him. The Missing Mullah: Iran's 'Supreme Leader' A No-show For Negotiations, Then Hid As Us Pounded Nuke Sites "The Supreme Leader has delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojtaba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to advance his father's destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives," the department added at the time. Read On The Fox News App Mojtaba Khamenei currently teaches theology at a religious seminary in Qom and is closely aligned with his father's hardline views, Reuters reported, citing sources. Khomeini, who is more of a reformist and is allied with a faction that is in favor of easing social and political restrictions in Iran, garners respect because of his lineage, according to Reuters. In 2024, Khomeini warned of a "crisis of rising popular dissatisfaction" among Iranians due to poverty, Reuters also reported. Here's What A Post-ayatollah Iran Could Look Like If War With Israel Leads To Regime's Fall The sources reportedly said that no decision has been made yet, more candidates could emerge and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who is regularly kept up to date on the talks – would have the final say. Khamenei is sheltering right now in a bunker and has suspended all electronic communications with his commanders, according to the New York Times. He is relaying orders only through a trusted aide to protect his location amid assassination concerns. Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Beth Bailey contributed to this report. Original article source: Frontrunners emerge as Iranian officials discuss possible successors to Khamenei: report
