Reza Pahlavi, Iran's last crown prince who was ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, declared that "freedom for Iran is within sight thanks to President Trump" following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
"President Trump told the Iranian people that 'your time of freedom has arrived,'" Pahlavi wrote in a Washington Post op-ed on the 28th (local time). "Those words gave strength to the Iranian people, and I am confident they will overcome this moment."
Pahlavi, the eldest son of Iran's last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is currently living in exile in the United States and leading Iran's pro-democracy movement.
He criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating it "has not acted like a state for nearly half a century" but rather "like an expansionist revolutionary enterprise, subverting the sovereignty of neighboring countries and pursuing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles."
"The regime's most brutal crimes were committed at home," Pahlavi emphasized. "When millions of Iranians took to the streets demanding freedom last January, more than 30,000 were reportedly massacred within just days. This is not the act of a legitimate government but the atrocity of an occupying force."
Pahlavi also outlined a political roadmap for Iran's future. "A new constitution will be enacted and ratified by national referendum, and free elections will be held under international supervision," he explained. "Once Iranians have voted, the transitional government will be dissolved."
He added that "a democratized Iran will immediately recognize Israel and pursue a regional peace framework connecting Iran, Israel, and Arab neighbors."
"The final victory will be achieved by the Iranian people," Pahlavi said. "If the Iranian people succeed in reclaiming their freedom, President Trump will be remembered as the leader who stood with them at the most critical moment."