Exiled prince rejects military attack on Iran, calls for empowering people

Iranian exiled prince Reza Pahlavi on Monday argued against the use of US military force on Tehran, saying the Iranian people are the only ones who can overthrow the clerical establishment that toppled his father's rule in 1979.

"We're not denying the fact that having to act militarily is always an option," Pahlavi told a Washington DC event hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI).

"But I think it will be historically criminal not to give the Iranian people a chance to make that happen before you have to resort to those less likable scenarios," he added.

US President Donald Trump has extended an offer to Iran for direct negotiations aimed at addressing concerns over its nuclear program. But the overture was accompanied by a stern warning: failure to engage would result in bombing "the likes of which they (Iran) have never seen before."

Pahlavi added that moving straight from diplomacy to military action would be ill advised. "Once again, you're throwing the people of Iran under the bus, which will only add salt to injury."

In response to Trump's bombing threat, Iran elevated its military readiness and cautioned neighboring countries against supporting any US military actions, warning of repercussions for neighbors who might facilitate an attack.

Addressing the same event, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson said "preventing Iran's regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon, which is existential for the United States and for American families and has been cited about the missile programs, is the foremost urgency."

He referred to the recent downfall of Iran's staunch ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, adding that he is "very hopeful that the success of the people of Syria should be the equivalent for the Middle East of the fall of the Berlin Wall, for the Europe and Central Asia for ultimately liberation of countries around the world."

Last week, Wilson introduced a new bipartisan bill pushing for measures to empower Iranians to help overthrow the government in favor of a democratic alternative including facilitating greater internet access and funding for dissidents.

The Maximum Support Act, introduced by Wilson and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), would require the administration to develop an aggressive interagency strategy aimed at backing Iranian dissidents who would be pivotal in the process.

The legislation outlines a set of initiatives including facilitating secure communications for activists, appointing a special representative for coordinating support efforts and forming multi-agency teams to counter online censorship and government surveillance.

It also calls for offering safe channels for defection by Iranian officials and utilizing information shared by defectors.

“The Iranian regime will fall sooner rather than later,” Wilson said after introducing the bill.