Reza Pahlavi told reporters in Berlin on Thursday that Iran’s negotiators in talks with the United States are “different faces of the same machine” that suppresses the Iranian people, and said the Islamic Republic’s grip on power is driving more conflict across the region. Speaking at a press conference during a European trip focused on Iran’s political future, he argued that no bargain with Tehran would solve the crisis.
“No deal will solve this. No negotiations will solve this. It is in their DNA,” Pahlavi said, adding that lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were not reformers. He said, “Neither are the IRGC killers behind the curtains,” a reference to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and told Europe the choice was between “a dying regime that endangers us all and a free Iran that can become a partner for stability.”
Pahlavi was in Berlin for meetings with German lawmakers and members of the press as he pressed his case for a political transition in Iran. He said the Islamic Republic had ruled for 47 years since the 1979 revolution and described it as a system that took “a great nation hostage.”
He urged European governments to stop appeasing Tehran, expel regime ambassadors and refuse to legitimize any arrangement that preserves the IRGC-centered power structure. He also said governments should prepare to recognize a transitional government once it is announced, arguing that international backing could help bring an end to state violence. “The Iranian people are not asking us to fight their revolution. They are already doing that, and with a courage that should humble all of us,” he said. “They are asking something far more modest: do not legitimize those who oppress them. Do not strengthen those who terrorize them.”
Pahlavi also linked his appeal to a recent air cover campaign that hit regime infrastructure and apparatus of repression, calling it “a necessary step to equalize the playing field” for Iranians facing crackdown on the streets. He cited “40,000 innocent protesters” in arguing that outside support could save lives and stop the bloodshed, while saying a democratic transition in Iran could ease regional tensions and open the way to broader economic cooperation.
The sharpest friction in his message was his insistence that the problem cannot be solved through diplomacy alone, even as governments continue to test negotiations with Tehran. By framing the choice as one between preserving the current system and recognizing a future transitional authority, Pahlavi is asking Europe to move from engagement to preparation.