Pakistan(National Times)- \u201cNow is the moment to stand with the Iranian people. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Do not throw this regime a lifeline. The destruction of the regime\u2019s nuclear facilities alone will not deliver peace,\u201d Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah, told a press conference in Paris. \u201cYou are right to be concerned about stopping nuclear weapons and securing regional stability, but only a democratic transition in Iran can ensure these goals are achieved and are lasting.\u201d The Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on Pahlavi\u2019s remarks. Reza Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly four decades, since his father, the U.S.-backed shah, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is unclear how much support Pahlavi has in Iran. Many Iranians remember the Shah\u2019s repressive secret police, Savak, and there have been pro- and anti-monarchy slogans during mass demonstrations in Iran in the past. Without providing evidence, Reza Pahlavi, who is based in Washington, said the ruling system in Iran was collapsing and that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his family and other senior officials were making preparations to flee the country. \u201cThis is our Berlin Wall moment. But like all moments of great change, it comes fraught with danger,\u201d he said, referring to the collapse of the wall that divided East and West Berlin in 1989 as the Soviet-led Communist bloc crumbled. Pahlavi said his teams were working on a future economic plan and that he wanted to convene a national unity gathering that would include activists, dissidents and groups from across the ideological spectrum to agree on the transition principles. It would also bring together business leaders, professionals and experts, he said, without giving a time frame. He said he had also created a platform for Iranian security, police and military officials to join him if they wanted to abandon the government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan(National Times)- \u201cNow is the moment to stand with the Iranian people. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Do not throw this regime a lifeline. The destruction of the regime\u2019s nuclear facilities alone will not deliver peace,\u201d Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah, told a press conference in Paris. \u201cYou […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":106686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n