Tehran on the brink? Exiled crown prince says 'discussions about post-Islamic Republic Iran have begun'

As Iran reels from the escalating fallout of its direct conflict with Israel, exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi has claimed that the Islamic Republic is collapsing from within, declaring that the time for national liberation has arrived.

In a series of posts on X, Pahlavi warned that the command and control structures of the regime are disintegrating rapidly and that international actors are beginning to accept a future without the Islamic Republic.

“Sources inside Iran say that the regime’s command and control structures are collapsing at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, the international community is beginning to realize that the Islamic Republic has no future. Our discussions about a post-Islamic Republic Iran have begun,” Pahlavi wrote.

Sources inside Iran say that the regime’s command and control structures are collapsing at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, the international community is beginning to realize that the Islamic Republic has no future. Our discussions about a post-Islamic Republic Iran have begun. https://t.co/86bJPP5bSi

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) June 19, 2025

Son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Pahlavi is now framing the current moment as one of irreversible national change.

“The Islamic Republic has reached its end,” he declared. “What has begun is irreversible. The future is bright, and together, we will pass through this sharp turn in history.”

Citing the fallout from recent Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed several top Iranian commanders, Pahlavi claimed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has “gone into hiding underground" and is rapidly losing control.

“Khamenei, like a frightened rat, has gone into hiding underground and has lost control of the situation.”

Calling on Iranians to rise up from cities across the country — “from Bandar Abbas to Bandar Anzali, from Shiraz to Isfahan” — Pahlavi also urged military and security personnel not to defend a regime he described as already dead.

“Do not sacrifice yourselves for a decaying regime,” he wrote. “By standing with the people, you can save your lives. Play a historic role in the transition.”

“The end of the Islamic Republic is the end of its 46-year war against the Iranian nation,” he added.

With internal dissent reportedly rising and external pressure mounting, Pahlavi’s remarks mark a growing sentiment: that the regime in Tehran may be facing its most serious existential threat since its founding in 1979.