Reza Pahlavi, the 65-year-old son of Iran’s last Shah, appealed directly to the German government during a Maybrit Illner talkshow appearance, urging officials to stop yielding to what he described as Iranian regime blackmail.
He said 40,000 people were killed in a single day during recent protests, yet no world leader speaks of a ceasefire or holds the ruling clerics accountable for ongoing executions.
Pahlavi accused Western politicians of fearing extortion or allowing Iran to hold the world hostage, calling it a disgrace that Berlin’s leaders let Tehran dictate who they can meet.
He warned that years of appeasement had brought Iran to this breaking point, declaring there is no return from the sea of blood now separating the people from the regime.
The following day in Berlin, Pahlavi found no official government representatives willing to meet him, despite hundreds of his supporters gathering between the Reichstag and the Chancellery.
Government spokesman Stephan Kornelius stated Pahlavi is a private citizen, and while he may represent a movement, Berlin sees no reason to initiate dialogue.
Pahlavi called this refusal shameful, arguing that governments under pressure from Iranian threats are silencing those who give voice to the voiceless.
Still, some politicians from the Union, SPD, and Greens reportedly met with him privately, including CDU’s Armin Laschet, who said Pahlavi remains a relevant source for understanding Iran’s internal dynamics.
Laschet added that many could agree on Pahlavi as a potential figure to lead a transition, should the current regime collapse.
Supporters describe Pahlavi as a 47-year resistance figurehead, claiming millions in Iran back him, though exact numbers remain unverified.
Critics counter that he has not sufficiently distanced himself from his father’s authoritarian legacy, a charge he rejects by noting protesters today chant both his and his father’s names.
Pahlavi insists the resistance is stronger than ever, fueled by the January massacres, and that the fight will continue regardless of foreign aid.
Why is the German government avoiding official meetings with Reza Pahlavi?
Berlin considers Pahlavi a private individual without official status, and sees no current basis for diplomatic engagement despite his movement ties.
What does Pahlavi say the Iranian people demand regarding the ongoing struggle?
He says victims’ families insist the fight must continue so their children’s deaths were not in vain, and that surrender is no longer an option.
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