The son of the former shah of Iran called Monday for solidarity against Iran’s Islamic regime, warning that the democratic movement born out of the election crisis might not succeed without international support, CNN reported.
“The moment of truth has arrived,” Reza Shah Pahlavi said at Washington’s National Press Club. “The people of Iran need to know who stands with them.”
The Iranian regime, he said, was a “sinking Titanic” that might not survive the demands for democracy and human rights reverberating through the country.
Citing anecdotes from people inside the Iranian establishment, Pahlavi said he had heard that security forces have begun to distance themselves from the regime.
“It has already started,” he said, citing reports that members of the security forces have gone home after their shifts ended and changed into plain clothes to join the protesters.
“Many, many elements within the security forces, within the Revolutionary Guard, are showing discontent,” Pahlavi said. “There is an amazing reflection that is happening. … This is a movement that has blown out of proportion.”
