An Iranian opposition leader in exile urged "compatriots who have taken to the streets" of Tehran to remain unified and demand the end of the ayatollah's regime.

In a pair of Monday posts on X accompanied by video of apparent demonstrations, Reza Pahlavi saluted "the Bazaar folks and the people who have taken to the streets," arguing that "as long as this regime is in power, the country's economic situation will continue to decline."

He called the moment "the time for greater solidarity," urging "all segments of society" to join protesters and "raise the cry for the fall of this system."

"My compatriots, you have taken the streets into your own hands. I am with you," Pahlavi wrote in a second message. "Victory is ours because our cause is just and because we are united."

Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran, also aimed a direct appeal at Iran's security apparatus, urging police and security forces not to confront demonstrators.

"This system is collapsing," he wrote. "Do not stand against the people. Join the people."

The messages, framed as encouragement for street-level protest and economic resistance, come as Iran's clerical rulers face mounting pressure from inflation, currency instability, and public anger over corruption.

In a Dec. 14 post, Pahlavi pointed to international attention as a force multiplier for Iranians challenging the Islamic Republic, highlighting a Jerusalem Post editorial board column that said it is "vital that the world knows what is happening inside Iran" and that Iranians must understand "they are not invisible" and that "the world is, in fact, paying attention."

The Post editorial board painted a grim picture of growing discontent "over fiscal mismanagement and environmental destruction," alleging the regime is "lashing out" at citizens who voice dissatisfaction.

The piece cited several cases as emblematic of repression, including the reported death of human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was described as being found dead in his office with signs of severe head trauma, while state-linked accounts attributed the death to cardiac arrest.

The opinion column also said intelligence agents quickly confiscated CCTV footage before the family could access it, and it described funeral chants of "Long live the shah" and "Long live Iran."

The Post editorial board alleged arrests at a memorial for Alikordi and highlighted the reported disappearance of 19-year-old monarchist activist Bita Shafiei and her mother, Maryam Abbasi Nikoo, as well as arrests tied to women running without hijabs at a marathon on Kish Island — developments critics say reflect a regime more focused on coercion than reform.

Pahlavi's call underscores an unavoidable truth: the Islamic Republic is not a "normal" government but a revolutionary theocracy that survives through force, censorship, and fear, and it will not be moderated by diplomacy alone.

As protests and labor unrest flare, Pahlavi is betting that unity, including defections from security forces, can turn scattered outrage into an organized movement aimed at ending the regime itself.

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