'This is our Berlin Wall moment': Iran's exiled prince urges Khamenei to step down and face trial

Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Monday called on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down, warning that the Islamic Republic is "collapsing" and that regime leaders are preparing to flee the country. His message comes days after US airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities and amid what he described as a pivotal turning point for Iran's future.

"I have a direct message for Ali Khamenei: step down. If you do, you'll receive a fair trial and due process of law. Which is more than you have ever given any Iranian,” Pahlavi said in a speech addressed to Iranians and the international community. 

"The Islamic Republic is collapsing. Khamenei and others are trying to flee Iran," he warned, citing what he called credible reports of regime families preparing to escape. "The regime is on its last legs, in towns and cities across the country. The military is fractured. The people are united."

His remarks followed what the US military has called the largest B-2 operational strike in American history — targeting Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in an operation dubbed Midnight Hammer. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said over 125 aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons were deployed in the mission. "Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” he said.

But Pahlavi insisted that the collapse of the regime will not be brought by bombs alone. "The destruction of the regime’s nuclear facilities alone will not deliver peace," he said. "But the path I offer can."

Declaring this moment a critical inflection point, he said, "We stand at a crossroads. One road leads to bloodshed and chaos. The other—to a peaceful and democratic transition. The difference... depends on one factor: whether the current regime in Iran is allowed to survive."

He cautioned Western governments against missteps. "If the West throws the regime a lifeline, there will be more bloodshed and chaos...This regime will not submit or surrender after it has been humiliated. It will lash out. As long as it is in power, no country and no people are safe — whether on the streets of Washington, Paris, Jerusalem, Riyadh, or Tehran."

Pahlavi said he is not seeking political power but is ready to lead Iran through a peaceful transition. "I do not seek political power, but rather to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice." 

He invoked personal stories of resistance — a young woman from the Women, Life, Freedom movement, a grieving sister of protest victim Javad Heydari, and citizens from across Iran — to underscore the ongoing struggle. "These voices represent a nation, embattled but resilient, that is not asking for its freedom. It is fighting for it."

Speaking to India Today, military historian Tom Cooper suggested that communication inside the Iranian regime is faltering. "The Supreme Leader is out of touch most of the time. Mossad is running a manhunt after him...he has already survived several assassination attempts in the last few days,” Cooper said.

Soon after Israel began its operations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that regime change in Iran was one of his objectives. In an interview, he said regime change will bring peace in Iran. 

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump also raised the possibility of a change in leadership in Iran. He posted on social media to ask "why wouldn't there be a Regime change?"

"It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" he wrote on Truth Social.