January 29, 2026
The Jerusalem Post reported that Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Iranian Shah, is preparing for what he described as the “last battle” against the Iranian regime, and that he appealed to the international community to support the Iranian protesters.
“The Iranian regime is weaker than ever, and the people are more united than ever,” the newspaper quoted Pahlavi as saying, adding that he called for “coordinated action” on January 8 and 9, as “millions took to the streets.”
The Jerusalem Post indicated that Pahlavi has been following from abroad the events taking place in his country in recent weeks, and that protesters in various regions are still chanting his name since the outbreak of the protests.
“In late December and early January, the Iranian people courageously took to the streets as they had done so many times before, and were more courageous than ever,” Pahlavi told the newspaper. He added: “They asked me for leadership and direction, so I called for coordinated action on January 8 and 9, and millions took to the streets. This was an escalation of our struggle for freedom, and the regime responded to that with an escalation of violence,” stressing that “the time has now come for the international community to provide assistance.”
The newspaper explained that Pahlavi’s call for international assistance comes in light of growing frustration with the failure of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take any military action against the Islamic Republic so far, despite “many assurances,” as she put it.
In the same context, Pahlavi stressed that “Iran’s future must ultimately be decided by the Iranians,” considering at the same time that “the world has a direct strategic interest in helping them topple the regime.”
This comes in conjunction with previous statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he stressed that the United States “reserves the right to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran” if Tehran threatens to attack US force bases in the region. On the other hand, Advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Shamkhani, warned that Iran will consider any American military action directed against it as a “declaration of war,” and will respond to it “immediately” by targeting the aggressor party and “the heart of Tel Aviv.”
